By Kabir Bedi
Westland Publications, 2021
By mid-1960s, the Beatles had become one of the most successful groups in the history of pop music, eclipsing icons of the 1950s - Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley - by creating radically different pop music, guitar rock combined with soul and folk music. As 'Beatlemania' was raging the world, the Beatles made an unscheduled last-minute stopover in Delhi on 6-8 July 1966 ( two years before their much-publicised official visit to meet Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh). They were on their way back to London after a disastrous tour of Manila where Imelda Marcos, wife of the dictator President Marcos, had asked The Beatles- after their live performance- to perform at her child's birthday party. They refused, and the wrath of the Marcos descended on them. They were forced to leave the country and manhandled at Manila airport.
Kabir Bedi, then a 20-years-old freelance reporter with All India Radio while still doing graduation at St Stephen's, had his biggest scoop as a reporter. He managed an exclusive face-to-face, Beatle-by-Beatle, interview at Oberoi Hotel where The Beatles were camped.
"Have you ever tried LSD?", Kabir asked John Lennon, the 'coolest' Beatle.
"No, I haven't". "I know you want a scoop, lad. I don't blame you. But I can't help you here". Kabir Bedi was touched by the kindness of tone. "What advice would you give to young people today?"
"Question everything. Don't be afraid to be a rebel". The New Age was indeed mesmerized by Lennon's anti-establishment irreverence.
Kabir Bedi was himself a crazy fan of The Beatles and went on to interview each of the fabulous four. George Harrison responded well on his relationship with Pandit Ravi Shankar and his dalliance with Sitar. Kabir talked to Paul McCartney about the group's innovative albums like 'Rubber Soul', 'Help' and 'Revolver'. Ringo Starr was then regarded as one of the best drummers in the world. Kabir asked him a few nervous questions and parted by complimenting his drumming in Day Tripper. The young Kabir was walking on clouds as he left the Oberoi. He had met his gods, The Beatles.
Reading the first part of book, the reader is bound to be thrilled by the evocative power of the story of Kabir Bedi's interactions with The Beatles. An old Beatles fan myself, I could barely contain my excitement after savouring the initial pages and quickly switched over to The Beatles playlist at Spotify. Oh, boy! I had my money's worth from the book's first part itself !
As Kabir bares his soul, compelling stories come tumbling out. From Delhi he moves on to Bombay to first join the iconic advertising company Lintas and then foraying further into Hindi films. The author recounts his successful career abroad as well as his many painful setbacks. Kabir expectedly writes about his four marriages (including the one with the irrepressible Protima, his first wife) and his relationship with the dazzling Parveen Babi.
The book's blurb says it all: 'Stories I Must Tell' is the unusually candid and compelling memoir of a man who holds nothing back, in love or in storytelling. Once finished I couldn't agree more.
(The reviewer Ajay Kumar Singh is a Joint Secretary rank Officer in the Government of Jharkhand.)