THE MONICA BEDI INTERVIEW
For the first time, the all-new Monica Bedi breaks her silence on Abu Salem, life in prison, her image makeover and proposed comeback in films and television
I was at a common friend's house the night the first episode of Bigg Boss was being telecast. A few of us, all die-hard fans of the show (nothing satiates our voyeuristic instincts like this one), couldn't help cracking up even as Rahul Mahajan crowned himself the in-house guide and Ketaki Dave donned her maternal make-up. Sometime then, our host got a call from a close relative. On hearing the commotion around, he told my friend, "You can make fun of everyone. But don't say anything about Monica Bedi. You don't want to land up in trouble."
It was a casual comment that set me thinking, especially since I'd met Monica just the evening before she headed for the Bigg Boss house. The fear that comes along with her name is daunting and that really surprises me. Here's a woman, perhaps in her thirties, trying to live a new life. It's not about making a comeback anymore; for her, it's all about being accepted by the people she once mingled with. But somehow, her past keeps coming back to remind her of the harrowing times she's been through.
Even in her prime, Monica Bedi was never a star to reckon with. She became famous only after her romance with gangster Abu Salem became public knowledge. From then on, her story has been the kind that would inspire novels and movies; only in her case, all that she went through was real and ruthless. But after all the emotional and physical upheavals she has faced, Monica has still shown the courage to start afresh.
She made a few mistakes; everyone makes mistakes. She fell in love with the wrong man; it's not the first time that's happened to someone. But how many people really have the gumption to be forthcoming about their actions and sock life in its face by being willing to take another chance?
Only this time, Monica is ready for the adversities. The first thing she told me when we met was, "I'm going to tell you the true story but please, I'm trusting you and please put it exactly as I say it. Life is very tough for me. Please help me out. I know you can do wonders because your magazines reach out to everyone."
It was an honest plea from a woman who's trying hard to establish her identity all over again. She's not ashamed of the struggle she's going through – right now, she lives in Mulund, a far-off place even from suburban Mumbai. She drives her own car; doesn't have a secretary yet; does her shopping in Lokhandwala's modest stores. "I thought people in Mumbai would accept me but even when I'm on the roads, I can sense them discussing me behind my back. There are some sniggers; some taunts. I just ignore them and carry on," she says.
This is the Monica Bedi story – in her own words. There will be emotions; there will be tears; there will be antipathy and there will be sympathy too. What's most important is that Monica Bedi needs to be heard right now – so leave your judgmental jargon for later.
HER INITIAL STINT IN MOVIES:
"I was so new and totally unaware about things. I remember, I had gone to Subhash Ghai's Holi party and there, I met Mr. Rakesh Roshan. I was so raw and had zero knowledge about the film industry. I always saw him as an actor; I never knew he was a producer and director too. At that party, he offered me Karan Arjun – the role that Mamta Kulkarni did eventually. He said he was starting the movie and that he'd like to see me in his office. He liked me. And I was thinking, 'This man is an actor so why is he calling me?' He gave me his numbers and his address but I never went there. That was Monica Bedi at that time."
HER DISAPPEARING ACT IN 2001:
"I am a very honest person and I really don't mind sharing this with you. I have nothing to hide. I've been quiet because I really don't know how the media is going to present it. Sentiments are involved; feelings are involved. And if I have made a mistake, I'm not going to blame the other person for it. You know, I've had so many people calling me and telling me, 'Say this about him (Abu Salem) and say that about him.' But I can't do that. Even when the case was in court, I didn't do it. It was my mistake too. Today, I want to put that behind me and start afresh. Is that too much to ask for?"
HOW SHE MET ABU SALEM:
"One day, I got a call from a guy in Dubai saying he was organizing a show where he wanted me to do a stage performance. I said okay. He said he would get back to me after all the formalities were done. Then, a few days later, he called up again and we talked for some time. A couple of days later, he called again. I began getting friendly with him over the phone. At that time, he gave me a different name. I didn't know he was Abu Salem. Actually, even if he had told me he was Abu Salem, I would've had no clue. I had only heard about Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel. I'd never heard of Abu Salem.
HOW SHE FELL IN LOVE:
"The strangest part is that I started liking him even before I met him. It was through our phone calls that I realized we had a connection. I never thought I'd ever fall for a man merely by talking to him over the phone. I won't say I fell in love with him at that time but yes, I started liking him. All through the day, I used to wonder when he would call; if he didn't call, I would be waiting for his call. I started enjoying talking to him. He was never pushy or overbearing. He was always friendly and we became really close friends. After being to Dubai twice, when he invited me for the third time, I asked him to come to Mumbai instead. But he always kept giving me some excuse or the other. He had introduced himself to me as Arsalan Ali – that's the false identity he used often. Even the case that was going on or is still on is with regard to the same thing. He got caught in Portugal too over this identity. If he had used his real name, he would've been caught a long time back."
WHY HE NEVER LET HER GO:
"He called me to Dubai and he never let me go back. That was the problem. He never told me when he was calling me that I would be gone forever. 'Take the first flight because you'll be in a problem,' he said. When I landed in Dubai, he told me I wasn't going back. He said I would have to face problems if I went back. 'The police will force you to reveal my identity,' he said. Luckily, I had finished all my projects by then. But I'd left my clothes, my apartment, my car – everything behind because I thought I would be back in two weeks' time."
ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP:
"See, for me, he was always a normal guy. He was very nice to me. I never saw the grey side of him. I always saw him helping people. He's a kind-hearted person. I don't know about his past; I don't know what wrong he's done. I can only talk about what I saw of him. My relationship with him was something very personal; very private. It had nothing to do with his association with other people. I never met anyone. He didn't even introduce me to anyone. He was very possessive of me and he really respected me a lot. It wasn't a time-pass kind of a relationship, neither from his side nor mine."
WHN SHE DECIDED TO BREAK OFF:
"In the initial days of my relationship with him, I couldn't really make out what kind of a person he was. I would be in Dubai for two-three days and then I'd be back in Mumbai. When you're with a person for just two-three days, he's always on his best behavior. It was only after I started living with him that I realized we weren't meant for each other. We were very different – our mentalities, our way of thinking was totally apart. And this I found out only after I started living with him. That was the time I seriously wanted to get away from him. I understood that we could not continue. We were not meant for each other. But he did not understand it then."
HOW IT ENDED:
"After we were arrested, there was no contact between us. We were kept in separate prisons even in Portugal. I haven't even spoken to him since then. I've seen him in court when the trial was on but we weren't allowed to talk to each other. We were arrested on 18th September 2002 – since then I have no contact with him. I want to make it clear that today, both of us don't even know what's happening in each other's lives. The relationship was already over or was on its last leg even when we were arrested. We were just trying to find out what would be the best way to handle the situation."
Anupamaa
