Mandira Bedi Talks About About Her Husband Raj Kaushal's Death For The First Time: I’ve Done Therapy

Actor and television presenter Mandira Bedi has opened up about the loss of her husband, Raj Kaushal, for the first time. In an interview, Mandira revealed that she has now reached a point where she can publicly discuss his passing, something she had avoided for three years. Raj Kaushal passed away from a heart attack in June 2021. Mandira explained that it took a long time before she could talk about him without breaking down, but she now feels strong enough to share what he meant to her and their two children.

Mandira on losing her husband Raj Kaushal

In a conversation with Humans of Bombay, Mandira described the first year after Raj’s death as the hardest, with subsequent years becoming slightly easier. She said, "The only way out is through. My children and I think of him every day. It’s not like we’ve forgotten him. The first year was very, very, very, very hard. The first of everything is just impossible to deal with. The first birthday, the first anniversary, the first Diwali, the first Christmas, the first New Year. The second one is a little bit easier, the third one is a little bit easier…”

Mandira opens up about her healing journey

Mandira acknowledged that she is still in the process of healing and that her initial response to the tragedy was to throw herself into work. She shared, "There are moments when we remember him because of a song. I’ve done the therapy I’ve needed to, there are times I still do it. As human beings, we are always a work in progress… What I can do now is talk about it. It makes me emotional, but I can. There was a time I couldn’t. But I won’t break down… I started working two months after it happened… I have to support my family and myself. I need to do it for my children.”

Mandira also mentioned that some aspects of her grief are still challenging. “It’s been six years that I’ve had his car. And I have to sell it now. I’d been holding onto it for emotional reasons, and now I’m going to shed a tear when it goes. So, it’s a work in progress. I’ve dealt with the bulk of it, but for the rest of my life, I’ll always grieve him. One thing I still can’t do, is that I can’t listen to Kishore Kumar music,” she said, visibly emotional.

Raj Kaushal, who died at the age of 50, had directed films like Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi and Shaadi Ka Laddoo, as well as numerous commercials.