Kal Sabir

Tell us about your background:

I’m a Scot(ish) Indian actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Glasgow, I returned to the industry in 2015 after a seven-year break.

After moving to London, I secured my first theatre role within two months – Capulet in Secret Theatre’s immersive Romeo & Juliet. It was a modern adaptation in which the Capulets were a wealthy South Asian family, and the Montagues were members of a far-right organisation. It was a fun experience and helped in making contacts, with whom I subsequently collaborated on other theatre projects.

It took me a further two years to land my first jobs in film and television, with Working Title Films and the BBC respectively.

In the following years, I focused on creating my own work. I joined Raindance Film School to learn film production and completed their Producers Foundation Certificate during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. Of course, thanks to the pandemic everything shut down, and I found myself back in my hometown of Glasgow.

How did your time at RCS prepare you for the world of work?

My course covered a lot of bases including theatre, television, film, and radio. We were also given the opportunity to devise a new play with Vanishing Point, which we took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – it also became our London showcase at the end of the year.

For one of my elective classes, I chose stage combat with prominent fight director Carter Ferguson. We had lots of fun learning to safely throw punches, kicks, and swing a sword. At the end of this, we made a short film called A Fistful of Swords, inspired by Spaghetti Westerns.

RCS provided a safe environment in which to experiment and to make and learn from mistakes.

In any form of study, the results really depend on your input. The resources and tutors are there, but are you willing to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain?

What has been your most memorable moment from your career so far?

In June 2022 I found out I was one of eight artists selected for a residency with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Artists have been given a budget and 10 days of studio time to research, explore, and develop an idea for a new theatre piece. My chosen topic is the pandemic’s impact on care in the community, with a focus on those suffering from dementia.

The project is inspired by my lived experience of looking after my mother who has early signs of dementia.

I never expected to be writing a play as my focus over recent years has been film, especially after setting up my production company, Restless Chimp Films, last year. However, I started my career in theatre, which is a different medium and brings its own possibilities.

I’m very much enjoying the process thus far and am looking forward to getting into the NTS studio space after my research is complete.

Describe RCS in three words:

I love these types of questions; they really challenge one to delve deep to find the right words.

I would describe RCS as an exceptional creative juggernaut.

Any final points or words of wisdom?

There’s always a risk here of preaching to the converted. Well, here goes:

No matter at what stage you are in your career, never forget where you started and who helped you along the way. In other words, stay humble and don’t burn your bridges.

Remember, life has a way of throwing you a curve ball when you least expect it.