Pooja Bedi says mom Protima 'lived life on her terms'
What's the story
Pooja Bedi recently opened up about her late mother, Protima Bedi, a celebrated model and dancer. In an interview with SCREEN, she spoke about how her mother had always wanted to live life on her own terms and even chose the way she died. "There are so many regrets about her leaving the planet before she even turned 50," said Bedi.
Living life on her terms
'She lived the way she wanted': Bedi
Bedi said, "There is so much that I wish I had done with her. But she was a woman who lived life on her terms." "She lived the way she wanted, and she literally died the way she wanted." "She always said she wanted to die out in nature and, you know, be one with nature."
Final moments
'She wanted a grand finale'
Bedi added, "At the end of this beautiful, glorious life, she didn't want to be pushed into some crematorium with a mock ceremony of her ashes being put in the Ganga." "She wanted to die out in nature; that was going to be a grand finale." "And that's exactly the way it panned out. Her body was never found. You know, it was one with the universe, one with the earth."
Premonition
Protima came to Bedi before leaving
When asked if Protima foresaw her death, Bedi said her mother visited her beforehand. "She came to me, wrote out her will, handed me her jewelry, handed me all her documents...and said, 'You never know.'" "I said, 'Why are you being so dramatic?' And she just said, 'You never know, darling.'"
Last wishes
She handed over everything to me
Bedi also shared that Protima had handed over everything she owned to her. "She'd handed me everything that she ever possessed." "And she said, 'Siddhartha's (Bedi's brother) no more, he's committed suicide." "I've handed over Nrityagram to Lynn Fernandez; you're my only mooring. I want you to let me go.'"
Final letter
She wrote me a letter summarizing her life
Bedi also revealed that Protima had written her a 12-page letter before leaving. "She wrote me a 12-page letter summarizing her entire life from birth, from her childhood, to her relationships, to her marriages, to her kids." "She said, 'I'm in Kullu, Kullu means Valley of the Gods...and may all the gods and goddesses know of my eternal gratitude. I'm happy. I'm so very very happy.' And then she went off." Protima died in 1998 in the Malpa landslide.