Know Yami Gautam “Vicky Donor” fame She throws light on nepotism in Bollywood
Remember Yami Gautam. She is no stranger to the dazzling world of glamour and neons
Born to Mukesh Gautam, a Punjabi director, and Anjali Gautam, in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, she was brought up in Chandigarh. Her younger sister Surilie Gautam is also an actress who made her feature film debut with the Punjabi film Power Cut.
Earlier Yami had no intent to step into the acting arena. She was to join Indian Administrative Services when she was 20. While pursuing a degree in Law, suddenly glamour struck her and she chose to enter the acting arena
Yami ventured into the world of glamor with the television show Chand Ke Paar Chalo, followed by the hit TV serial Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kum, aired on Colors.
She made her film debut in the Kannada film Ullasa Utsaha in 2010. The movie bombed at the box office, but her performance received favorable reviews. Then in 2011, she appeared in her first Telugu film Nuvvila. Directed by Ravi Babu, this rom-com was a hit and received great reviews from the audiences and critics alike.
But herBollywood breakthrough came with Shoojit Sircar`s Vicky Donor, opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in 2012. Produced by actor John Abraham, the movie was a commercial and critical success, and Yami was praised for portraying a young and opinionated Bengali girl. Critics lauded her for her performance.
A critic wrote Yami adds enormous value to the movie by her act, screen presence, and striking looks. She`s truly admirable towards the latter part of the film.” For this film, Yami also won her first IIFA Award.
In 2014, she appeared in a leading role in Total Siyapaa, and Action Jackson, but both the films failed to generate any profit. Her next film was the crime thriller Badlapur, in which she starred alongside Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, and Radhika Apte. The film was nominated for Best Film at the 61st Britannia Filmfare Award.
In February 2016, she starred in Divya Khosla Kumar`s romantic-drama film Sanam Re with Pulkit Samrat and Urvashi Rautela. The film received a lukewarm response at the box office, but Yami Gautam and Pulkit Samrat`s chemistry was well applauded. Her other 2016 release includes Junooniyat, also opposite Pulkit Samrat. In 2017, she starred along with Hrithik Roshan in Kaabil, which was commercially hit. Her 2019 release include Uri: The Surgical Strike and Bala. Her 2020 release includes Ginny Weds Sunny.
As per Yami certain kind of films don’t define your place in industry anymore
Her last two releases-
“A Thursday” and “Dasvi”. Both released directly on an OTT platform, and managed to strike a chord with the viewers
She’s been around for a decade now, and has a credible opinion about what’s good and not so good in the film industry today.
What she loves about the profession is how you get to play different characters and by that live many lives. It’s an exhilarating experience. She wouldn’t say dislike, but what she finds challenging about being an actor is the lack of time to prep and deep dive into a challenging role so that every time the audience watches a film they don’t feel like she’s done the same thing in another film.
She talks about Nepotism.
The industry in itself has been witnessing a change. Debates about nepotism, OTT vs theatres, and more have only led to things being discussed openly. The actor agrees and says though it isn’t as if there’s been no change, but it’s still work in progress. She explains, “I can see it heading in a positive direction. There’s no notion that doing certain kind of films defines your place in the industry. The audience is extremely welcoming, and even the industry is now opening up to the idea that everybody can co exist, provided there is good work happening.
This is Yami Gautam who is sure to bounce back and prove her worth as an actress.
News Input K.V.Raman