Beauty of short films is they're out-of-the-box: Mandira Bedi

Films are few and far between for actress Mandira Bedi, who considers television a "conservative medium". But she says she is attracted to short films as they are experimental.

Mandira, who shot to popularity with her TV show "Shanti" back in the 1990s, has featured in "The Gift", a new short film for SonyLIV.

The 45-year-old actress has in the past done short films like "Deuce" and "Ek Baar Phir".

Talking about why she prefers the format, Mandira told IANS over the phone from Mumbai: "The beauty of short films is that you do stuff that is out-of-the-box. The roles and stories are a bit different."

"The stuff done on TV will always be a bit safer and conservative. There are daily soaps that take 25 days a month time commitment and that thing goes on for years... I can't take on something like that."

On TV too, she likes anchoring over acting.

The last thing she did was to drive a goods-laden truck in the Himalayas for "Ice Road Truckers: India's Deadliest Roads". She says it was a "very beautiful" phase of her life.

"I drove a truck in Himalayas for a TV show last year. That was a very good and beautiful phase of my life. After that, suddenly people have woken up to me being an actor again. I have got loads of good offers in terms of acting since then," Mandira said.

But she is selective about the projects she takes on. For "The Gift", the pull was the "gripping" narration.

"'The Gift' is a really fantastic script. Kushal (actor Kushal Punjabi who has directed it) came to me with the script. It was a lovely and gripping narration with an unexpected plot. I enjoyed it so much that I told him that I would love to be a part of it," said Mandira.

The actress will also play a hardcore policewoman in her upcoming Tamil project "Adangathey". She finds it "challenging" as she doesn't know the language.

"That role is incredible and I really enjoyed playing it. I was a cop in '24', (show). But that was a different kind of cop. The role is a very hardcore cop who has to solve a high profile case. It's challenging as well to play a character because you have to emote without knowing the language."

On her future plans, Mandira said she has just finished shooting a film titled "Vodka Diaries" with Kay Kay Menon. She also has some other projects, which she said she will be disclosed soon.

-IANS