Actress Kubbra Sait is soaking in the love coming her way after the release of her show Sankalp in which she plays a DSP. In this candid conversation, she opens up about the show’s overwhelming response, working with filmmaker Prakash Jha, and breaking stereotypes. Kubbra also reflects on her journey, choices, and what keeps her creatively driven in an ever-evolving industry. Excerpts:
How are you feeling now that the show is out and receiving so much love from the audience? What has the response meant to you?
I'm extremely happy. A few things stand out in terms of what we are hearing. Sankalp is not a show that you have seen before. We haven't seen a show that doesn't have violence or sexualisation of women. Even the dialogues are so well written and the entire story itself is the hero. I would call Sankalp a magnum opus, a big scale show. In that sense, it was just a delight to be a part of. I'm happy that people are getting to see something that they haven't seen before.
What is your takeaway from this show and your character?
I play a DSP and when you watch the show, you'll see Parveen is the most emotional and vulnerable character. For me, looking at that thing wherein one wants to get into the system to change or fix it but then you realise that the system changes something in you. That for me is a very big takeaway.
How was it to collaborate with Prakash Jha?
It's one of the most lightest and the most liberating experiences of working on a Prakash Jha set. He brings a lot of positivity and inclusivity on set. He is such an incredible man. He's aware of everything that is happening on set. And this one man, the captain of the ship, has everything in control. Everyone on set was so cooperative.
I think a Prakash Jha set is a director-led set. Everyone is working for the director and helping him make his vision come true. And through that, he helps us actors to give our best performances. It was a homely, peaceful and kind environment. It had an amazing time being a part of the show. He is just one of the great visionaries we have in this country. There's so much to just learn from by being in his presence.
How did you prepare for this role of a DSP?
At first, I was really questioning myself. I had already played cops twice. But that's the beauty. You realise that every character is different. No two police officers are the same. No two mothers are the same. No two friends are the same. And that's what then starts to build the courage in you as an actor. So, for me, I think the challenge was to play a police officer, but differently.
Don't you fear being stereotyped?
You are only as stereotyped as you want to be. If you feel you have nothing more to add, then I guarantee you the world is also going to see just that. You need to know what your unique skill sets are. When I did Ready in 2010, people said I'll get stereotyped and only be a maid everywhere. But never again was I offered a maid's role.
Go on...
When I did Kuku, they said, 'Oh, now you'll be stereotyped'. But I said, no, I think there is a sense of common emotion that connects all of us. I don't think you should look at it from such a small, myopic perspective. I think the more work we get to do, the more we learn. If I get to play more cops, then I get to understand different kinds of cops. If I kept doing the same thing on screen, neither would I enjoy it nor would my audience.
This is your first project in the political space, and you also come from a political family. Did that background influence your decision to take up this role in any way?
You can never differ from your roots ever. Your roots make you who you are. I do come from a political family. I come from the family of a Congressman who has had the most glorious years. He served in every Cabinet there is in the Ministry. For me, that has always been something of pride because it showed me the value of public opinion. I've seen my grandfather use politics to serve people and for me, that has been the takeaway through politics. But that's not the impression of politics or politicians that we have today. The impression we have today is that everyone's here to make money and that's very different from how I grew up.
So, to answer your question, no, it was not my roots or my grandfather's legacy that propelled me to take up this show. It's actually the experience, the skills, the beliefs that director Prakash Jha had in me that propelled me to take this show forward.
If you get a chance, will you also play a politician in future?
You give me a good script. I will play a politician. I will play a cat also (laughs).
Are you happy with how things are shaping up for you in the industry? And are you happy with the kind of roles that you're getting?
Yes, I am happy. Now, we're looking forward to Farzi coming up. So work keeps happening. Otherwise, I am someone who likes to be busy and keep creating. So life is good. I just like to put my energy where it matters and have a good time. There are highs, there are lows, there are ups, there are downs. Things go your way, things don't go your way. But I think a sense of balance keeps you through.
