Mandira Bedi recalls sexism during cricket anchoring days: ‘I felt disrespected, dismissed by male colleagues’ | Hindi Movie News

Mandira Bedi, who is known for her work in both television and cinema, stepped into uncharted territory when she began anchoring cricket tournaments during the 2003 World Cup. Although she had already made a mark in Bollywood with films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, her move into the male-dominated world of sports broadcasting was met with resistance and bias.
Mandira Bedi recalls being ignored by veteran experts
In a recent interview with Yuvaa, Mandira opened up about her early experience in cricket broadcasting, revealing that she was made to feel invisible and undervalued. Reflecting on her initial days on set, she admitted that the atmosphere was anything but welcoming.
“I felt dismissed and I felt disrespected. I felt powerless and I felt like I don’t know what am I doing here. I questioned myself and belittled myself saying, ‘It must be me’,” Mandira confessed, describing how she often felt ignored during panel discussions.
She revealed that she would pose questions to veteran experts on the panel, only to be blatantly overlooked. But instead of backing down, Mandira chose to confront the bias. She decided to persist until her voice was acknowledged.
Eventually, a shift occurred, not just in her approach but in how others responded to her.
“When I realised that there’s no pressure on me and nothing is off the table and I need to ask what I want to ask, whatever question is in my head could be a question in somebody else’s head, nothing is off the table and if someone disrespects me, I will repeat that question till they give me an answer, and everything changed. The dynamic changed,” she said.

A boys’ club, then and now
While Mandira’s resilience helped her carve a space for herself, she pointed out that the landscape hasn’t transformed as much as it should have over the years. More than two decades later, she feels the industry is still largely exclusionary.
She recently worked on a cricket tournament and observed the lingering gender bias. “Anyone who is on the outside, whether she has any knowledge of the game or not, they will be given a certain treatment. You have to be able to hold your own. You have to believe in yourself and keep it going,” she noted.

Despite acknowledging that not much has changed in the male-dominated world of cricket broadcasting, Mandira Bedi stressed the need for self-confidence and resilience. She said that women in the industry still have to fight for space and respect, but over the years, she has learned how to assert herself and ensure that her voice is heard.