Yami Gautam has made it big in Bollywood, but for the Kannada audience she will always be remembered as the Ullasa Utsaha girl. The Uri heroine started off her tinsel town career in Sandalwood with a film with Ganesh in 2009. There’s been no looking back since then for this Bollywood actor, who is keen to do another film here. “I had a good experience. Ganesh was my first co-actor, and back then, I had no clue what a huge star he is. He was really supportive, and he still looks the same.
If I get a story or role that excites me, I will be back here again,” says Yami on the sidelines of the Blenders Pride Magical Nights.
Yami has signed a film but is awaiting an official announcement from the production house. Right now, she is focussing on one project at a time, and clarifies that she hasn’t taken a sabbatical from the South. “I thought I needed to focus on one place. But at any point of time, if there is a story for me, why not?,” she says.
Yami recalls how the Kannada film took her career a notch higher and how she considered taking her career seriously.
“The first time I saw myself on big screen was in Ullasa Utsaha. In B-Town, you always want to give your best and explore the best version of yourself. However, for someone like me, there’s a need to find my own path. The first step for me was with this Kannada film. I remember watching the film in Bengaluru with my mother, and at that moment, I realised films were for me. Ullasa Utsaha helped me blossom into a full-fledged heroine,” says Yami.
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It’s no surprise that her recent film Uri has been the biggest box office hit of 2019. “As actors, we get the vibe of a film. It was an honest attempt. However, the love and appreciation it got worldwide was something very endearing. It’s over 50 days now and the tweets and messages haven’t stopped coming.”
While box-office success gives actors a high, earning respect gives them another kind of high, believes Yami. “Uri got me respect. As an actor, it is challenging to explore a different kind of story. However, when the end product is appreciated, the experience is rewarding,” she says.