Yami Gautam took time to figure out stardom

Actor Yami Gautam has had an oscillating fiveyear filmography in Bollywood with three films, out of eight, doing well at the box office. However, the actor isn't complaining. In fact, she is glad that she took "this time" to understand things and now, is "much more aware" about her craft.

"For me, success happened overnight after my debut film [Vicky Donor; 2012]. I was very raw at that time to understand a lot of things. For instance, things like being prepared about how my film would roughly do or the kind of hype it has, weren't there, and I didn't have that awareness," says Yami, who was in Delhi to walk the ramp for designer Reynu Taandon at the recently concluded India Couture Fashion Week.

Yami says after a successful debut, she didn't go on a film signing spree since she was still learning the nuances of Bollywood. She says, "Once you're an actor, many things like films, endorsements or events are happening around you. The way you should carry yourself isn't at the back seat anymore. I took time to understand these perspectives attached to being a star. It made me the person that I am today. The sense of security and happiness that I feel and the zeal that I have, is more than what I had at that time." 

Yami followed up her debut with films such as Total Siyapaa (2014) and Action Jackson (2014), both of which did average business. Asked if she was bothered about how things would shape up after these films, Yami says, "You get bothered about the choices of films that would be offered to you next; if you would be offered a certain kind of roles and whether your versatility will get restricted. Otherwise, it's a process that can't stop. It can get slower but there is no reverse gear." 

And, does Yami have any regrets? "No; unless you've been raised in that [film] environment, nobody can force things on you. You learn from your own experiences. Like, when my films didn't do well, I wasn't comfortable talking about these things at that time. I was apprehensive of giving interviews thinking people might start comparing me with others. Your confidence starts dwindling and that's when you need to find your ground," says Yami.