New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Actor Kabir Bedi, who has marked his presence in Western cinema and is set to host a chat show on television, feels proud when he looks back at his career spanning over three decades, three continents and three mediums.

'Essentially, Bollywood, Hollywood, European films, theatre or television - they are all different mediums for entertainment where different techniques and skills are used. We are performers, interpreters or transporters, it doesn't matter much where we are working,' Kabir, 61, told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

'However, when I look back at my sojourn, I feel a fair amount of pride, as the profession is very taxing. Whether you are successful or unsuccessful you are under a lot of pressure and stress. To battle it one needs nerves of steel and it feels great that I survived it all.'

He says working in global projects earns exceptional rewards for an actor.

'If an actor is talented, one should try being a part of international projects. It is full of risks, however, it gives extraordinary rewards like global recognition and love of audiences across boundaries,' Kabir said.

'The response you receive from people is just overwhelming. If I hadn't picked up global projects I wouldn't have experienced it ever. Till today I am an active voting member of the Oscars Academy and it feels wonderful!' he added.

The actor cut his teeth in films with 'Hulchul' and gave hits like 'Khoon Bhari Maang', 'The Hero' and 'Main Hoon Na', to name a few.

Global recognition followed, as the star appeared in the James Bond film 'Octopussy' and the TV series 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.

Kabir is all praise for Bollywood.

'Bollywood has become a worldwide brand. Even those who do not see Hindi films know about them. One of the reasons contributing to its soaring popularity is that our industry has brilliantly adapted techniques and movies have become stylish, more dramatic and interesting.

'Also, Indian directors have great potential. So far they have not extensively used special effects but they have the capacity to make Hollywood films.'

The versatile actor, who started his career with TV, is now all set to host a celebrity chat show titled 'Directors Cut' on the TV channel Zoom. He said that television has come a long way and he is elated about his return.

'I began my career with television, I was a student then and used to freelance for Doordarshan. I had a programme of my own called 'Mirror of the World' that later became very popular.

'I have seen television very closely since the time of its inception. Over the years it has not just grown, it has in fact exploded and overtaken every other form of media, in terms of both idea and audio-visual content. It is the reflection of our society.

'It feels terrific that I am going to host a chat show and I am more excited because I will be interviewing the directors whom I have worked with.'

However, he said that the small screen industry has miles to go.

'TV is a part of the NRIs' staple diet. They connect to their roots through it. But to reach a wider audience, television needs to go beyond the 'saas bahu' dramas and churn out more innovative and informative programmes, and star oriented shows.'

(Shweta Thakur can be contacted at shweta.t@ians.in)