From her trademark noodle strap blouses to the short and chic hairdo she has been sporting lately, Mandira Bedi has always believed in being her own style counsel. The style diva is currently busy hosting reality show Jo Jeeta Wahi Superstar , which she insists is very ‘special’ to her. “Though I have co-hosted a reality show Fame Gurukul earlier but this show is special because I am hosting it alone and this gives me a chance to connect with the judges, the contestants and my audience” she explains. Ask her how she sees herself growing as an actor and as a host and she replies, “I think if you are hosting a show all alone, you tend to learn a lot and there is constant growth. When I started off as a host, I felt intimidated but now I feel very comfortable while standing on the stage and enjoy it.” So, what is it that she enjoys more – the cricket-based show which catapulted her to instant stardom or the current reality show she is hosting? Agreeing that a reality show has a higher glamour quotient attached to it, she affirms, “Hosting a stage show on TV is about a full figure shot. I am always at the centre stage and enjoy dressing up. Whereas Extra Innings was more about connecting with the audience watching you at their homes, so it involved a different kind of energy. There you can’t show your larger than life personality, which is possible with a larger studio, live audience, judges and contestants.” Coming to her new hairdo, what prompted her to cut those lovely tresses? “Actually it was not meant to be so short initially. I wanted to get a hair cut done but I couldn’t fix a meeting with my hair stylist Sapna, as we both were busy. So, while I was out of town for a hair-related event, I was offered to try a hair-cut and excitedly I said yes. But once it was done, I wasn’t too happy. So I came back to Sapna and she suggested that we’ll have to go really short to sort that out.” Nevertheless, Mandira is enjoying her bob cut now and is carrying it quite well. “If you ask me personally, I find this quite different and it’s like a contradiction when you don short hair with big earrings and a glamourous saree. It’s like an experiment in its own way.” But then why do we keep seeing her donning long hair while hosting Jo Jeeta Wahi Superstar ? “Oh don’t ask me. When I went for the shoot, everyone was shocked. The team was all the more worried about how I will manage traditional outfits with this hairdo. I tried very hard to convince them to let me be with the way my hair are but it didn’t work and that’s why you see the extension of my hair while on screen,” she reveals.
