Actress Kubbra Sait allowed vulnerability and openness to seep into this interview with
The Pioneer’s Shikha Duggal because it was inspiring and thriving on her goals of independence. She further spoke about her acting, growth in the industry and more.
The Pioneer’s Shikha Duggal because it was inspiring and thriving on her goals of independence. She further spoke about her acting, growth in the industry and more.
She’s the powerhouse that every girl wants to grow up to become — actress KUBBRA SAIT with every character that she has played on screen shining out like brilliant rays of sunshine. In our conversation with her, we appreciated how she allowed vulnerability and openness to seep into our interview because it was inspiring and thriving on her goals of independence.Recently seen in a very poignant role in the Indianized version of the courtroom drama THE GOOD WIFE, Kubbra offered us a satirical and realistic portrayal of a consultant for a legal firm. And her role was so pontifical!
Sharing more details about the project, Kubbra said, “The series was in tandem with what I believe — women emerging to be the powerful achievers at workplaces. There are not women who are bound by limitations, and the director wasn’t unwavering in showing Kajol, Sheeba Chaddha, or myself in only the two distinct connotations. He performed the act of trusting and manifested all of us in grey roles.
The struggles we shared, our transformative journey of progress — these dynamics were so real for me. There is no difference between a male and a female head! Then the exploitation of power in the hands of a few people — all of this is so real that you could relate to it. For a change, the heroine wasn’t quintessential in this series. It was quite the antithesis!”
We didn’t forget how her mother used to double up as a manager for Kubbra for the longest time, and the actress kept in mind what an iconic moment that used to be. In the actress’ mind, she was the artist, but to her mother, she was still the little girl she was managing. Hilarious, yet so much admiration.
The confab persisted: “There are so many revelations I acquired knowledge of only through this job of acting. Lapsing back to the times when I had just begun my career, one of the first roles that I was asked to represent was that of a convict — she was given a death sentence, but the execution was never carried out. On the sets, I mastered the disclosure that there are not plenty of female executors. To be playing a role in the judiciary, there are still so many legal jargons that I am unaware of, and gradually I am gaining some understanding of them through the show.
There’s just one impulse in me that wants our judiciary to have a more fair-minded panel on board, because I can see some sad overturning of rules! Same-sex marriage is one example of it. We are in the eye of the storm, and all this competence is coming into and out of the projects I am doing.”
As a television host, she brings out how her career has totally changed. She was a hustler, needing to be everywhere. That has found its calm now! Perspectives towards her have changed; she never came to the city of dreams with an agenda, and now she’s finding back-to-back fulfilling projects that make Kubbra Sait her own fighter. She shared, “What I really liked about my own series was not just me in it but the parenting model that was shown. In spite of having morally different standings and references in the series, the similar pattern of raising their kids really touched me on the premiere night. My hand was broken, by the way, and one thing is for sure: never talk about Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhania Lejayenge with Kajol (she laughed out loud).”
She really wanted to be famous, and she was extremely indifferent to playing just two scenes in a film. It was a Salman Khan film, and Kubbra says, “Who cares after that?” Near and dear ones around Kubbra alerted her very seriously that if she did it, it was going to be the death of her career and asked her to refuse the role of a maid in Ready. The best part is yet to come because when Anurag Kashyap was anxious to see how Kubbra is known for performing, the actress countered him by saying, “Go watch Ready” (both of us laughed together).
She added, “From the time I have become a significant part of web-shows, I can see how we are adapting the American shows in a more nuanced way, going on to give their references a better outlook. Nobody has ownership rights; it’s just the exchange of cultures happening on screen. Even the west is picking up so many new developments from us! This is not the time for competition but for collaboration. Something that doesn’t go down well with me is what I am hearing as an insider: that actors are being cast on the basis of their social media followers. That’s bizarre for the growth of real talent. Politics in the industry is prior to you; to me, it’s grapevine, and I don’t indulge in any.”
So she’s taking risks in the entertainment industry and leading with strength. What makes her special for us is her ability to push through anything. Not that Kubbra is invincible or has no emotions — that could be an incorrect interpretation — but she doesn’t allow anyone else to define her worth. Most importantly, now she doesn’t settle for less!
