Beneath the spotlight, where talent meets tenacity, Kubbra Sait shines bright as a beacon of creativity and passion. In an exclusive and intimate conversation with The Pioneer, the actress delves into the making of her latest release, Khwaabon Ka Jhamela and shares her insightful perspectives on love, self-discovery and the ever-evolving landscape of the entertainment industry
With a presence that is as unforgettable as it is mesmerising, there’s this one talented star, who has emerged as one of India’s most captivating and versatile talents. With a sparkle in her eye and a fire in her soul, it’s none other than Kubbra Sait, who has been lighting up screens with her irrepressible charm and undeniable talent. From playing a small-screen role in Ready to her critically acclaimed performances in films like Sultan and Gully Boy, Sait has consistently proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. With her infectious enthusiasm, captivating charm and dedication to her craft, she continues to win hearts and inspire audiences across the country.
Well, now as the actress is on cloud nine with her latest release Khwaabon Ka Jhamela, The Pioneer had the opportunity to catch up with her, who is thrilled about the release of the project, now streaming on Jio.
“It feels fantastic, like a relief,” exclaims Kubbra as she begins to chat with us. “Everyone around you is constantly speaking about how bad the situation is in the industry and everyone’s highlighting the situations where so many projects have been filmed and are waiting for a platform or a release. And I’m just happy that a sweet, lovely, positive story that is filled with hopefulness is now there on Jio for everyone to watch.”
The thing about working in films or as an actor, the Sacred Games fame acknowledges is that the gratification for the work is not instant. “You really wait for a long time till all the verticals of your film come together and then finally, there is a release.” For obvious reasons, Khwaabon Ka Jhamela stands out as a very special project since it’s her first release of the year and after quite a while.
In this project, she plays a character called Shehnaaz and sharing her perspective on what drew her to the character, she gushes, “There are only three characters in the film. It’s my character (Shehnaaz that gets Zubin (played by Prateik Babbar) to go out there and find himself. I feel what we don’t recognise is that the person who pushes us to do something that we’ve never done before is also changing because they’re actually asking for what they want for the very first time. I think that is what drew me to my character in Khwaabon Ka Jhamela because yes, there’s this taboo around marriage. There’s a taboo that you can’t tell your family, or your friends that sex is bad in a relationship. Then I get to play that character, who says no because my character is unhappy in this relationship.”
Well, this is what leads Prateik’s character to go on a self-discovery journey. The Trial star’s enthusiasm for her latest project is evident and she’s grateful to have had the opportunity to play a character that challenges societal norms.
“As an actor, we all give so much emphasis on feeling that there is a magical way or a process to reach a character.” She emphasised the importance of a well-written script, saying, “I think the first tool that one has is the script. And my character is so clear in the script. It’s made so beautifully and it’s written so incredibly that I had zero doubts.”
With a solid foundation in the script, Sait found the preparation process to be relatively easy. “Now, the preparation process becomes easy because then you’re like, oh, this is all written. Now how do I lead with my emotions?” She credited her incredible co-stars, including Pratiek, with making the filming process enjoyable, even during challenging scenes like the sex scenes. “He brought everyone laughing and rolling on the floor,” recalled Kubbra with a blast of laugh.
One of the most memorable moments from Kubbra’s shoot was also one of the most challenging – filming a sex scene with a broken hand. In fact, “The whole film, I shot for 7 days or 10 days and this was literally 5 days after I was diagnosed that my entire arm is ripped out.” Ouchh! Despite the physical discomfort, the Deva actress’ dedication to her craft shone through and she even managed to find humour in the situation.
In terms of her character’s place in the larger narrative, The Verdict–State vs Nanavati fame described the film as a romantic comedy that explores themes of coming-of-age and self-discovery. “It’s a romcom that meets coming to lie coming to age.” She praised the film’s ability to update the rom-com genre, making it relatable to modern audiences. “Danish Aslam says this very beautifully. Romcom as a genre constantly needs to be updated like the iOS on your phone because romance is changing.”
She further delved into the intricacies of romance and the transformative power of self-discovery— “What romance used to be for me by growing up is not the romance today for children. So I guess this story tells you about how important it is to even explore you being single and the kind of superpower that it draws from you discovering who you are as a person and not just depend on your partner by calling them soulmates. One has to be comfortable in their skin and love themselves in order to love other people.” The Shehar Lakhot actress encouraged viewers to watch the film to see her character’s arc.
Regarding her project choices, she describes herself as ‘not a choosy actor’. However, “I am definitely looking at projects that allow me to pick the environments I want to work in. It allows me to pick the stories that I want to tell and the stories and characters I want to be. I want to share my this life with their journey.”
Looking back at her journey and growth as an actor, the Jawaani Jaaneman star recalls, “When I came here to be an actor, I didn’t really know what acting is because I didn’t have exposure to schools and to learning and to educational answers.” And so, she credited her colleagues and directors with teaching her about acting. “So whatever I know and learn, it’s all on the set. What I know is through learning and growing with my colleagues and my directors. I’ve been very fortunate to meet incredible people who believe that I can bring something to the table and then we can elevate that together because telling a story is not a one-man business. It takes a whole army to do that.”
With a promising pipeline of projects on the horizon, Kubbra Sait is gearing up for an exciting new chapter in her career. Her slate is filled with an exciting array of upcoming shows and films, including a recently wrapped series alongside the talented Kajol. Additionally, Kubbra announced her upcoming film, Deva, slated for release next year. With a tantalising tease, she hinted that there’s much more to come, saying “All I can say is just watch out… there’s a lot more we need to talk about in the coming months and years.”
