'People don't know what to do with me'

'The last five-six roles I was offered were negative. I don’t want to get into the saas-bahu space. I don’t know if I fit the bill of a saas or a bahu. I am floating in the middle!'

But Mandira Bedi says, 'I Can Do That'! 

Mandira Bedi is quite thrilled about her new television show, I Can Do That, as she feels she will learn a couple of new skills. 

"I have started with magic in the first episode -- maybe for my son’s next birthday, I can be the magician!" the actress smiles mysteriously. "It's like a crash course. You get to learn the skill in seven days. And I am overcoming a lot of fears too."

Mandira has some good words for the show's host Farhan Akhtar too.

"He has a great sense of humour," she says. "He is comfortable with his lines. He's the perfect choice for a show like this, as it's all about learning new skills. He has done so many new things and excelled in them too.”

But what’s keeping Mandira away from acting? 

“Nothing!" she exclaims. "The right kind of role has to come along. If something really appeals to me I will make time and multi-task."

"With my short hair, people don’t know what to do with me. The last five-six roles I was offered were negative. I don’t want to get into the saas-bahu space. I don’t know if I fit the bill of a saas or a bahu. I am floating in the middle!" she says. 

Mandira, however, enjoyed her last acting job, Anil Kapoor's 24. 

"My character was totally up my street," she says. "I will be happy if I get something like that comes my way. I am not a part of the second season because they take a time leap. The third season of the original will be India's season two." 

Mandira admits it's difficult to balance her duties as a mother with her professional duties as an actress and sari designer.

"I go to TV rehearsals when my son is in school. During the shooting of the first episode, my son turned up on the sets and surprised me. He went up on stage and said, 'My mom is a super mom.' I am sure they taught him to say that! But I was bowled over." 

Mandira rose to fame with her stint in the daily soap Shanti many years ago.

"I was a part of the first daily soap on Indian television 20 years ago. There hasn’t been a more positive character. Of course, I would say that because I have been associated with the show. But the character inspired many people. And Shanti rubbed off on me. I learnt from her as it was the first character I played," she says. 

Mandira is glad that people know her by name after she started hosting cricket shows. 

Mandira, who has a designed a beautiful sari collection, says, "I have been designing saris for the last two years because of my sari connection from the 2003 World Cup. I have worn so much saris and garments that I understand them better. I am good with fabric and colours. One day I just decided to design saris and held a couple of exhibitions. They were a hit. Now, I'm doing fashion shows," she signs off.

I Can Do It will premiere on television on October 17.