It's never too late for self-love: Mandira Bedi

Actor and fitness icon Mandira Bedi, who has recently turned author with her book 'Happy For No Reason', says that in her 30s, she experienced many insecurities in the entertainment business, and it is only now in her 40s, that she has started to love herself.

"I've been in the business of entertainment for 25 years, and it has taught me a lot. There have been many ups and downs. I had many, many years of anger.

Every time I would lash out at people I didn't want to, I wanted to change, and over the last few years, I found myself changing and working at it. Three years ago, my book could have been called snappy-for-no-reason or angry-for-no-reason," Mandira, 47, said in a session at Arth, a cultural fest in New Delhi that concluded Sunday.

She was in conversation with the book's co-author Satyadev Barman.

Bedi revealed that a lot of her life has been about the "never-too-late moments".

"I became a sports presenter at the age of 30-something, which is not the age that people start or get into something. I am now 47 years old, and since the last six-seven years, I've been connected to fitness very strongly. It's never too late to be connected to the world of fitness or wellness," the actor said.

She added: "Especially in my 30s, there were a lot of insecurities, because the entertainment business is such, women have a very short shelf life. I used to look over my shoulder and think: 'Now it's going to end'. In my 30s, I used to think 'I wish I was doing that role' or 'Why didn't I get offered this' or 'I was in competition with this woman'.

"Lots has changed in me now, and I believe the more I give thanks for, the more comes my way. I know I will continue to work till I want to continue working. There's work for everybody, and I believe you could be there for as long as you want to be there. I've only starting loving myself in my 40s. It's never too late to start loving oneself."

In the free-wheeling session, the actor shared that the book published by Penguin, was initially supposed to be a workout and fitness related book. While that does find space in the book, it also elaborates on the things that mattered to Mandira.