Over the weekend, Son Of Sardaar 2’s release was postponed, with the Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur-led comedy now arriving on August 1. The decision is speculated to be a result of Saiyaara’s strong box-office run. When we get on a call with actor Kubbra Sait, she is unaware of the reason for the one-week delay. All she knows is that it will be the perfect belated birthday gift for her.

“Earlier it was to release on July 25, now it’s on August 1. My birthday is on July 27. Either way it’s a birthday gift for me,” she chuckles, before saying, “I don’t have any information [about the reason for the delay]. I’m happy it’s releasing on August 1. It’s a good thing that people are going back to the theatres. So, if one [film is] creating space for our film, that’s fantastic.”

Featuring in director Vijay Singh Arora’s comedy after a string of intense stories like Deva, Shehar Lakhot (2023), and The Trial (2023) was refreshing for Sait. Her first brush with the genre has left her wanting more.

“I’ve heard every [actor] say that comedy is a very difficult genre. So, I went in with that pressure. But everything happened [smoothly]. The script was tight, my colleagues were fun, and we shared our lives with each other over the 45-day stretch in Scotland,” she smiles.

What helped matters was having actor and producer Devgn as the captain of the ship. Son of Sardaar 2 faced many changes — from Sanjay Dutt being replaced by Ravi Kishen, to Vijay Raaz being dropped following allegations of inappropriate behaviour on set. She says, “When you see Ajay Devgn having a sense of calm despite the changes, it changes so much in the atmosphere. He set the stage by being a great example.”

Actor Kubbra Sait is entering a new decade of her life, and there are a set of new goals — personal and professional — that she wishes to achieve. The actor, who turns 40 today, says the last ten years “have been great in terms of self-discovery”.

“In the coming decade, I am going to be kinder to myself,” she shares, adding, “I’ve spent many years hustling after professional goals. Today, I am doing things that make me proud of myself. I feel fulfilled as a human being professionally, but personally, I’ve been lagging. So, this year would be about achieving personal goals, like getting a boyfriend.” 

Speaking of personal growth, The Trial actor tells us that accepting rejections in her career has played a big role in shaping her personality. “I’d never learned how to accept rejection... Now, I don’t allow anyone to tell me that I am not good enough for a project. I feel I am bigger than that project. That allows me to be a better person for myself,” she muses. 

Sait, who usually goes off the radar to ring in her birthday, is going to celebrate with friends in Mumbai for the first time in her life. “A dear friend of mine has invited us home for a party. I’m happy that after 13 years of living in Mumbai, I found such close friends,” she ends.

Actor Kubbra Sait’s birthday this year just got more special, for she is set to make her international debut with Foundation. The teaser of the show dropped some time ago, and people back home in India have been curious about her brief appearance in it.

“This is my first interview where I’m like, ‘Hell yeah, this girl has gone to Hollywood!’ Otherwise, I was talking about it with the same excitement in my intimate circle. When I saw myself in the teaser, I just went like, ‘I am here’,” gushes Sait, who turns 37 today.

While she can’t divulge much about her character at this point, Sait says the journey and experience of shooting for the show, also starring Jared Harris and Lee Pace, was like a ‘school of a lifetime’.

The actor elaborates, “It is incredible, when you get something based purely on merit, not entirely crediting it to luck. Of course, luck played a very small part in it, for my casting agent to recognise that I may be able to do it, the creators seeing a brown person from the East, and thinking I may be able to play a character on screen in the West. Every audition of mine was progressively good. I think that whole journey put together was excellent.”

The Sacred Games actor was in Ireland and Canary Islands for months to shoot for the show. While there has been disappointment in the past about roles of Indian actors not turning out to be substantial enough despite the hype, she assures that one won’t be disappointed. “If you ask me do I have lines, I have loads. If that is what defines it, then yes, I have lines,” she adds.

As for her birthday, Sait says she has always been very excited for the day, and would count down from a month in advance. But, this time around, she’s a bit in control.

“I will have a really intimate brunch with my brother, coming from Bangalore along with his wife, and friends. Then, we’re going bowling in a new arcade that has opened in Bandra, Mumbai. I’ve not done that in 10 years. That’s what is fun; it isn’t defined by age or numbers,” she signs off.