YAMI GAUTAM: RISES LIKE A PHOENIX

In an exclusive interview with Brides Today, Yami Gautam—whose recent rom-com Ginny Weds Sunny is about matchmaking and an unlikely romance—talks about the power of patience and perseverance, her commitment to her ideals, and what beauty means to her.

- MEGHNA SHARMA

On the morning of her interview with Brides Today, Yami Gautam is on her phone... She is replying to congratulatory texts (her just-released Netflix rom-com Ginny Weds Sunny is trending at number one in India), coordinating her shoot schedule amidst the pandemic, and drawing up a plan for the next few months. With close to a decade in the industry, Yami's Bollywood debut, in 2012, was something a debutante could only hope for... Vicky Donor sent the cash registers ringing, earning four times the budget— crowning the 32-year-old as one of the most-promising actors.

Yami’s career is sprinkled with hits and misses. In a bid to live up to her debut film, the Bilaspur-born actor worked on several projects in Bollywood and the South Indian film industry. Each performance was applauded, but not every film was a success. Things saw an upswing last year, when two of her films received both critical and commercial acclaim, rechristening her as the one to watch out for. Yami credits diligence for her success. An introvert by her own admission, the actor feels she could have fast-tracked her career had she “socialised with the right people”. Not that she regrets it...Yami takes pride in the fact that she has made it on her own.

With two projects in the pipeline (Bhoot Police and Dhamaka), she is excited for what the future holds for her. In a candid conversation, Yami discusses self-acceptance, her stance on the beauty standards set by society, and why she swears by her grandmother's beauty wisdom.

Brides Today: Your last two films—Uri: The Surgical Strike and Bala—seem like very carefully thought-out choices. Are you conscious about the kind of scripts you’re saying yes to now?