Pooja Bedi Remembers Protima Bedi: “She Lived and Died on Her Own Terms”

New Delhi: Actor Pooja Bedi recently opened up about her late mother, the iconic Protima Bedi, recalling her extraordinary life, fearless choices, and the way she left the world. Protima, a model-turned-classical dancer, was celebrated for living life on her own terms. She died in the mountains at the age of 49, and her body was never found — just as she had wished.

A Life Without Regrets — And One Unfulfilled Dream

In an interview with Screen, Pooja Bedi reflected on her mother’s legacy and expressed her deep regret that Protima passed away before reaching 50.

“There are so many regrets about her leaving the planet before she even turned 50. There is so much 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.”

A Wish to Merge With Nature

Protima Bedi had always been vocal about how she wanted her life to end — not in a conventional crematorium or through rituals, but by merging with nature.

“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,” Pooja shared. “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. She was just this incredible energy.”

Signs That Protima Knew What Was Coming

Pooja recalled how her mother seemed to sense what lay ahead. Before leaving on her final journey, Protima meticulously arranged her affairs.

“She came to me, wrote out her will, handed me her jewellery, handed me all her documents, handed me her property papers, and said, ‘You never know.’ I said, ‘Why are you being so dramatic?’ And she just said, ‘You never know, darling.’ She’d handed me everything that she ever possessed.”

Protima reminded Pooja that she had already settled her responsibilities:

• Siddhartha Bedi, Pooja’s brother, had tragically died by suicide.

• Nrityagram, her dance village, had been entrusted to dancer Lynn Fernandez.

• Pooja was her only remaining anchor.

“She said, ‘You’re my only mooring. I want you to let me go,’” Pooja recalled.

A Final Letter from the Valley of the Gods

Before disappearing into the Himalayas, Protima traveled to Kullu-Manali — also called the Valley of the Gods. There, she wrote a heartfelt 12-page letter to Pooja, summing up her entire life.

The letter recounted Protima’s childhood, her relationships, her marriages, her children, her journey as a dancer, and the founding of Nrityagram. She ended on a note of peace and gratitude:

“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.”

That was the last Pooja ever heard from her mother. Protima vanished into the mountains, never to return. Her body was never found, fulfilling her wish to become “one with the earth.”

A Legacy of Fearlessness

Protima Bedi’s journey — from a glamorous model to an acclaimed Odissi dancer and founder of Nrityagram — reflected her fearless spirit. She lived life on her terms, and when it came to death, she chose the same path.

“What a journey, what a life, what a woman, what a mother,” Pooja said, remembering Protima with admiration and love.

Today, Protima Bedi is remembered not just as an artist, but as a woman who dared to live authentically, leaving behind an inspiring legacy of courage, self-expression, and spiritual freedom.