ELLE Digital Cover Star: Kubbra Sait Is Embracing The Chaos

On a midweek afternoon, Kubbra Sait logs into our call, bright-eyed and disarmingly warm. There's no pretence, no façade. Just a voice brimming with energy, passion, and a kind of clarity that feels rare in an industry built on make-believe. Between thoughtful pauses and bursts of laughter, you get a sense of someone deeply rooted in who she is and in love with who she's becoming. Her authenticity is a breath of fresh air in an industry often filled with artifice.

"I think there's enough evidence to prove that I'm exactly who I say I am,” she says with a chuckle when I ask her who she is beyond the screen. “I'm just a person who wants to live as honestly as possible, in every single moment.” Off-camera, she insists she’s still that ‘happy-go-lucky, fun person,’ but interestingly, it’s on-screen where more shades of her personality are revealed.

In her upcoming film, Son of Sardaar 2 (releasing on July 25), Sait plays Mehwish, who is “unfazed, unapologetic, and kind of insane in the best way.” There’s a giddiness in her voice when she talks about her character. “She’s so much like me, it’s scary,” she laughs. “She’s expressive, she’s stylish, and she knows joy. I think playing her reminded me of how much fun I’m allowed to have.”

Working alongside Ajay Devgn also gave her the space to be herself, and she values that: “He’s not just rich in experience, he’s generous with it. There was room to just be myself on set, which is so rare.”

A Journey Inward

Sait’s story isn’t one of sameness; instead, it’s one of growth. From growing up in a conservative environment to playing one of Indian television’s most path-breaking roles as Cuckoo in Sacred Games, her evolution has been anything but linear.

Ask her what it’s taken to get here, and she’ll tell you: resilience. “Projects come and go. So does money, even health. But how do you grow without changing your soul? That’s been the real journey,” she says. Navigating chaos and then consciously choosing comfort has shaped her, not only as an actor but also as a person. “Through cinema, through breaking stereotypes, through writing my book, I think I’ve silenced the chaos. I’ve recognised the strength inside me.”

Sait’s ability to shapeshift—from anchoring glitzy events to embodying layered, emotionally heavy characters—is no accident. It’s hunger. “I want to do it all and I want to do it now,” she says, candidly. “I’m not afraid to fail. Every role brings something new to the table, and even the mistakes, especially the mistakes.” Whether she’s the voice of fury in Foundation or the heart of vulnerability in Sheher-Lakot, her characters have mirrored her evolution. “People ask if I bring my characters home, but it’s more like they evolve with me. My growth has happened alongside them,” she states.

And lately? She’s leaning into lightness: “I don’t want to do only gritty, painful things anymore. I want to have fun. Because fun is fun.”

The Power Of Stories

Sait doesn’t just act, she speaks, writes, and posts from a place of truth. She’s been vocal about everything from body image to rejection to that little tummy pouch that won’t budge (and she’s okay with it, by the way). “I’ve always believed that fully processed stories—the ones where you’ve sat with the pain, healed, and made you come out stronger—are worth sharing,” she says. “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being real. If my voice, no matter how small, resonates with even a few people, then it’s done its job.”

She credits yoga (and a brilliant therapist) for keeping her grounded. But more than that, she credits her willingness to embrace all parts of herself, even the messy ones. “You can’t keep expecting yourself to be flawless. You’re allowed to be a work in progress.” This message of self-acceptance and self-love is a powerful one that she advocates for.

A Quiet Superpower

Despite the passion and eloquence, there’s one thing people constantly get wrong about her. “They don’t think I can be still,” she smiles. “But I can. I really can. I just don’t use it all the time. It’s a superpower.” It’s a sentence that somehow sums her up perfectly. Sait is both stillness and movement. Depth and light. Fire and calm. A woman unafraid of living out loud, while also quietly holding space for others to do the same.

When I ask what legacy she wants to leave behind, she says it’s about community. “If my story, or just my presence, can help build a space where self-love is the norm and people feel seen, then I’m good. I don’t have to witness the impact in my lifetime, but I want to know that I left something behind.” She pauses. And then, as if speaking to every person who’s ever tried to find peace in their chaos, she adds, “Imagine if we all just became better versions of ourselves. That’s the community I want to live in.”

ELLE India Editor: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Photographer: Trupal Pandya;  Stylist: Shagun Joshi; Makeup: Apruva Chaudhari; Hair: Ishitaa Pahuja; Words by: Vishakha Punjabi; Cover Design: Sakshi Badani; Creative Production: Inline Creatives; Artist Repututaion Management: Idhyah Media