‘Success is when people accept you for what you are’
AANCHAL SRIVASTAVA,
After wrapping up the shoot of Bhoot Police, Yami Gautam is shooting Dasvi currently and has a packed schedule this year. Having completed nine years since her debut in Vicky Donor (2012), she is glad to have made it on her own.
“I experienced highs and lows, disappointments and triumphs, but it’s all been my journey. I don’t owe anyone anything. That’s a big deal for me. Most of my experience, which has been good, is what I have learnt the hard way and on my own. You feel good about it; I don’t want to say proud as it resonates with arrogance. I have made it till here, being the person I am. I am happy,” says Gautam.
Talking about her own definition of success, she explains, “Success is not something you can count or is directly proportional to hit films — which is important — but majority of success is what you are as a person. Are you still the same? When I started, I knew I was capable of making a mark, which wasn’t just a desire. I believe I am here to act and perform and become a good actor. While everyone wants recognition and fame, for me, I enjoy my work and want to continue to do so.”
While she took a risk debuting with the “path-breaking concept” Vicky Donor, she shares that back then, people had different reactions and told her to stay away from mature roles.
“I’ve evolved as an actor and feel more confident in taking risks. I am proud to have started my career with VD. But later, fear seeps in, especially when people around you, who want good things for you, ask you to do things that are in trend or ‘good-for-you’ as it worked for XYZ. You go to auditions and don’t get the part, even though people say they loved you,” she says.
She admits that deep down she is still the same person as she was, and with time, has proved her versatility.
“People were surprised to see me as Pari in Bala (2019). I’ve heard stuff like, ‘we imagined you as you were in your first film or in Kaabil (2017)’ and I say that I am supposed to play characters in films, which are believable. That doesn’t mean that I can only do these (laughs). It is the biggest thing I had to overcome, the perception of people and I am still working on it,” she concludes.
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