Kabir Bedi receives Italy's highest civilian honor
Renowned actor Kabir Bedi recently received Italy's highest civilian honor, the "Order of Merit of the Italian Republic," at a private ceremony in Mumbai. The event was attended by his wife Parveen Dusanj, daughter Pooja Bedi, and granddaughter Alaya F. The award celebrates Bedi's three-decade commitment to fostering Indo-Italian relations. The actor expressed his happiness by sharing pictures and a heartfelt note, deeming the award "very emotional."
Why does this story matter?
Bedi boasts a remarkable career across three continents—India, the US, and notably Italy. Renowned for embodying the nefarious Sanjay Verma in the 1980s hit Khoon Bhari Maang, Bedi's fame extends to Italy and Europe, where he mesmerized audiences as the pirate Sandokan in an eponymous Italian TV miniseries and the sinister Gobinda in the iconic 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.
'It's even higher than Cavaliere (Knight)'
An emotional Bedi expressed his gratitude, saying, "This is a very emotional award for me. Being presented with the Order of Merit, Italy's highest honor, is the fulfillment of my life's work in Italy. It's even higher than Cavaliere (Knight), which they made me 12 years ago." He also mentioned the friendship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called for collaboration between the Italian and Indian film industries.
Take a look at the post here
'Life has come full circle'
In the post, Bedi also reminisced about his journey as Sandokan. He stated, "My journey of becoming Sandokan began 100 meters from where we were standing, at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. That's where I met the director and producer of the Sandokan series for the very first time. Life has come full circle." Bedi highlighted how his scroll mentioned, "Kabir keeps on playing, decade after decade, an extraordinary role in promoting better relations between India and Italy."
Celebrations with a live musical performance by Niccolo Fabi
After the formal ceremony, a special live musical performance by Italian singer-songwriter Niccolo Fabi set the perfect celebratory mood. Italy's President Sergio Mattarella acknowledged Bedi's extraordinary human and artistic partnership with Italy over the last 30 years. Ambassador to Italy, Vincenzo De Luca, described Bedi as a sincere friend of Italy and a great promoter of Italian culture in India and other countries where he is known.
