I was called Cobra, Medusa: Bollywood actress Kubbra Sait recalls while talking about her ordeal with bullying
The actress debuts as an author with her new book, Open Book: Not Quite a Memoir
Kubbra Sait gets candid about her life experiences in her new book
Bollywood actress Kubbra Sait will debut as an author with her book Open Book: Not Quite a Memoir on June 27, 2022. The book’s release date was announced by HarperCollins India last month. In the book, the actress opens up about her journey, so far, and her ordeal with bullying and sexual abuse as a child.
In an interview with a popular media house, the actress talked about the time when she was bullied for her name and curly hair. While talking about the book, Kubbra revealed that people called her Cobra and Medusa.
Also read: Kubbra Sait gets candid about her memoir titled Open Book
In conversation with the media source, she said, “My name’s Kubbra, I was called Cobra. My hair was curly, I was called Medusa. I have never allowed anyone to body-shame me but I was bullied in school because of the colour of my eyes. Today, I will not meet someone on a date 2 if they haven’t already complimented my eyes on date 1 (laughs). But the same eyes changed me. I didn’t embrace my name for the longest time. I would have changed it long back if I had a choice. Only when I looked into the meaning of the name (Kubbra means ‘the great one’) did I understand the energy that my name was giving me. How can I not make my life worthwhile (sic)?”
The Sacred Games actress also added that she used to fake laugh just to be seen and heard. She told the media house, “We don’t realise how much our past memories affect us. I didn’t want these stories to buried inside. I went through highs and lows and wrote it in a non-linear way so that anyone can read it from anywhere (sic).”
Also read: Kubbra Sait plays Death in Audible's The Sandman Act 1
Kubbra Sait started out in Bollywood with a brief appearance in Salman Khan’s Ready. She has also acted in Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, Jawaani Jaaneman, and Sultan. She gained widespread recognition for playing the role of a transwoman, Kukoo, in Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Sacred Games Season 1. She also played Phara in the Apple TV+ American sci-fi series Foundation.
Her book, Open Book: Not Quite a Memoir, according to a press release by HarperCollins India, has 24 chapters, each idiosyncratically named after the pivotal theme outlining the narrative of every chapter. The book hits stands on June 27, 2022.
