Yami Gautam 'I'm Not Scared of Failure'

Yami Gautam’s philosophy is simple. She believes in doing things that bring her joy, working with people she respects, and escaping to the mountains every once in a while. Nikita Sawant chats with the star.

- Nikita Sawant

She walks in for the interview positively glowing and energetic. When she tells me she’s just come back from the gym, I find it a little hard to believe because, let’s get real, who looks so good immediately after a workout, right? She settles down and, as we start talking, I realise that she’s quite the chatterbox. Yami Gautam takes the interview head-on, and her winning smile lets you know that dodging questions is not her style. After kick-starting 2017 with the hit Kaabil, Gautam has another big release to look forward to— Sarkar 3, a film franchise she says she’d only dreamt of being a part of. Between giggles and light-hearted banter, she makes it crystal clear that she’s here to stay and nothing is going to change that. Edited excerpts from the interview:

You started with television and then made your big screen debut with the Kannada film Ullasa Utsaha. Did you always have your sights set on Bollywood?  I believed right from the beginning, even when I was pursuing a degree in law in Chandigarh, that whatever I did, I would do it with all my heart. Mediocrity doesn’t satisfy me. When I started acting, I had no idea how to go about things. I gradually discovered that performing onscreen is something I liked to do. My phase in television was very short-lived. I wasn’t very happy with the kind of roles that were being offered to me so I decided to start afresh. What has been more satisfying, acting for television or cinema?