Born in Tanzania and raised in Junagadh, former Miss India finalist and actress Bhakti Kubavat is proud of her African roots. She explains, “My mom is from Tanzania; her family moved there from Gujarat for business. It’s a trend in their family to come to India for one’s education. When mom came to Gujarat for that purpose, she fell in love with dad and that’s how our story began.”
Kubavat’s father is a doctor from Mendarda, Saurashtra. He believes in community service and contributes money to run temples and provides free consultation to underprivileged patients.
Kubavat dreams of bringing her life full circle by retiring in Africa. “I want to open a ranch in Tanzania and have zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, lions, gorillas and other animals,” she says, adding, “I want to have a place where we can feed giraffes and spend time with them.”
But until then, Kubavat has been making a name for herself in the Gujarat film industry. Her filmography includes: Bas Ek Chance, Lapet, Vitamin She, Jessu Jordaar, Pela Adhi Akshar and other movies. From very early on, Kubavat decided she wanted to be deeply involved in any movie project she was part of. She explains, “Most directors don’t involve you in decision-making. The male actors are privileged to be communicated about during the pre- and post-production of the film, but they never involve actresses. I had to consciously create a place for me at the table. I would ask questions like – who is the choreographer, where is the post-production going to be done, etc. Not just the film industry, women struggle for their place in every single field. We must put in double the effort for half the credit.”
Most films glamorize women and often use them as props, and this is something Kubavat has also been very vigilant about. She says, “I ensure that I’m not a glamour doll or trophy in any film. I strive to carve my niche.”
Kubavat didn’t grow up dreaming of showbiz. She says, “My family isn’t connected to the film industry. Growing up, I aspired to be an IAS officer or an astronaut. But life had other plans for me. My mom saw an ad in Femina magazine (to which she had a subscription) for a modeling contest and suggested I participate in it. I entered it purely to win some goodie bags, but that move changed my life for good.” Kubavat eventually walked the ramp in Mumbai and also appeared on the cover of Femina. After the contest, she was paid rs 6,000 for her first ad for the IPL Royal Challengers Bangalore team.
When asked if she ever felt intimidated by the glamour of Mumbai, she says, “They do they, I do me; that’s my simple rule. I was raw and didn’t know how to dress or present myself, but I was comfortable in my skin even when I was surrounded by the tallest, most beautiful and professional divas. Even today, I do not have a godfather in the industry; I’m a sole warrior.”
Unlike other fields, a person’s failures in showbiz are all too public. Kubavat is frank about this, saying, “When I was doing my first film, Bas Ek Chance, a friend advised me to focus on work and leave the results aside. I decided to do just that Since I started work there has not been a single day that i haven’t worked.”
Finally, Kubavat believes in a life full of gratitude. She says, “I feel there was a genie who just agreed to all my wishes. I’m blessed to be doing a job that can influence people across varied stratas.”
