Kubbra Sait interview: On gratitude, acting, writing a memoir and more

Kubbra Sait’s mother once gifted her a cylindrical, cat-shaped jar, which she uses as a repository of gratitude. In it, you would find chits where she has written about the things she is thankful about. The latest chit is about her homecoming. She was in Europe for over seven months due to shooting and travel restrictions. Despite having a good time there, she wished to return to her home in Mumbai. So, when she did, about two weeks ago, she made sure to add to her gratitude jar.

“You actually realise that so many things that you ask for on the fly, actually happen. And, when they happen, I think it is important to acknowledge those moments,” she says over a video call from her home. “Gratitude is not the lack of wanting something but it is the appreciation of getting something that you wanted.”

Kubbra discusses gratitude at length in My 3 Secrets to Success, an Audible podcast, featuring celebrities from various fields speaking about success. ‘Gratitude’ is atop her list of three secrets to success, followed by ‘challenging yourself’ and ‘getting good sleep’.

As an actor, I think the liberating thing is that you are never yourself; you are always associating yourself with some other soul. So, in that sense, it feels magical KUBBRA SAIT

Kubbra, however, finds it a bit strange that she was invited to the show, because she believes that success is ‘overrated’ “Every little thing that you do can be called success, depending on how you weigh it,” she says, “I have definitely moved a few notches up from where I was as I took the opportunities that came my way. I think when you do what you’ve always wished to do and do it well, that’s success.”

She has been in three different careers and been successful in all of them. She was a marketing specialist at Microsoft in Dubai over a decade ago. Then, in the early 2010s, she began hosting shows. She did a few films, too, including Ready, Sultan and Gully Boy, among others. But her performance as Kukoo in Sacred Games widened her popularity. Last year, Kubbra was in Jawaani Jaaneman alongside Saif Ali Khan and in two OTT shows — Illegal – Justice, Out of Order on Voot and Waqalat From Home on Amazon Prime.

Kubbra does not consider one career more successful over another, but finds acting most fascinating. “As a host, I never associated myself with my profession. I believe that what you do, who you meet, what religion you follow, where you work… all these are extensions of you. As an actor, I think the liberating thing is that you are never yourself; you are always associating yourself with some other soul. So, in that sense, it feels magical.”

There are more projects lined up this year, including Apple TV’s Foundation. Apart from these, she is also working on a memoir, which, at 37, might seem like a vanity project. Kubbra says there is a reason for it. “To let people know, through my experiences, that I am broken, I have failed, I have been down and out and had the courage to stand up again. If this resonates with someone, then my job is done.”

For now, however, Kubbra is glad to be back home, in the presence of her white Persian cat, Shifu Sait, who keeps distracting her during the call. “The traffic, rice and dal, my cat… I realised how much emotional comfort I find in India.”