Kabir Bedi lost his son Siddharth to schizophrenia-related suicide at 26, deeply affecting the family. Pooja Bedi recalled the pain during her pregnancy and the challenges of distance, misdiagnosis, and stigma. Kabir openly discussed mental health struggles and his guilt in an interview.
Kabir Bedi, a popular actor from the 80s and 90s, became famous around the world through her roles in ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’ and ‘Sandokan’. While he enjoyed great success, he faced a deep personal loss when his son Siddharth died at the age of 26. Siddharth was a bright young man who loved technology and graduated with honours from Carnegie Mellon University. Despite his talent, Siddharth struggled with schizophrenia, which eventually led to his suicide. This sad time was even harder because Kabir was also dealing with serious financial problems, making it very tough for the whole family.Pooja Bedi reflects on brother’s death and family painDuring a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Pooja Bedi, the daughter of Kabir Bedi, reflected on the tragic passing of her younger brother and how deeply it affected their family. She said, “My brother died by suicide when I was pregnant with Alaya. His death came as a huge shock.” Pooja also spoke about the difficult moment her father faced, explaining, “Dad was there with him in America when he passed away. It was very tough for my father—he walked into the room and saw it. I can’t imagine what they went through at that point in time.”Staying strong during pregnancy and griefBecause of her pregnancy, Pooja had to stay emotionally strong despite the intense grief. She said, “They tried to calm me down. I wanted to stay calm for the child in my tummy. I didn’t want the trauma to lead to a miscarriage or impact my baby. I stayed positive. As much as I loved him and missed him, I knew his journey had ended—and mine still had to continue.” She revealed that Siddharth had left heartfelt notes for their family before his passing. She said, “He had left a very sweet message for me and my child. He even wrote a letter to my mom. That incident was unnecessary, but he decided to end his journey,” her voice heavy with emotion. “I really wish he had done things differently and lived.”Challenges of distance and misdiagnosis during Siddharth’s illnessPooja highlighted how distance and personal struggles affected their relationship during Siddharth’s illness. “He was in America. I was in India. I was dealing with my own challenges—being married, trying to be the perfect wife. I was busy while he was suffering. Initially, they didn’t diagnose him correctly. First they said, it was depression, then bipolar disorder. It took a long time to reach the correct diagnosis of schizophrenia.” She fondly remembered their close childhood bond: “My brother and I were inseparable. We shared everything—even the same bedroom, sometimes even the same toothbrush. We had the same friends, loved the same food, and went to the same boarding school. He was just one and a half years younger than me. We were extremely close.”Family’s open talk on mental health and Kabir Bedi’s reflectionsThe family chose to confront Siddharth’s mental health struggles openly despite the heartbreaking outcome. “He had schizophrenia. He later died by suicide. His death made me think deeply about mental wellness and how little it was spoken about back then. Most people would sweep such issues under the carpet. But we talked about it openly, and I believe that openness gave others the courage to come forward.” Kabir Bedi also reflected on this painful time in an interview with Aaj Tak, stating, “I suffered heavy losses due to bad investments. This happened at a time when my son was suffering from schizophrenia, there is a chapter in my book too which details how I dealt with it and how people should deal with it. I tried to prevent him from suicide. When the tragedy did happen, and I couldn’t save him, I suffered immense guilt.”
