Yami Gautam: Working with Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan increases one’s reach

After Vicky Donor (2012) — her debut film in Bollywood — actor Yami Gautam went on to star in movies such as Total Siyapaa (2014), Badlapur (2015) and Sanam Re (2016). Her ‘starry co-star’ phase, however, only began this year. The 28-year-old featured in Kaabil alongside Hrithik Roshan earlier this year, and has bagged a role in an Amitabh Bachchan starrer — the third instalment of the Sarkar franchise.

While Yami agrees that working with big names is beneficial for one’s career, the actor is clear that she wants to complement that with good roles for herself too. “Given their popularity, names such as Mr Bachchan and Hrithik have humongous reach and if you get to do a film with such stalwarts, it’s amazing. But, it’s important to know if you have a substantial role as well in the film. As an actor, I want to be as versatile as possible in each film I do,” she says.

Further expressing her excitement about the film alongside Big B, Yami adds: “When you have someone as big as Mr Bachchan, and that too, in a series such as Sarkar, which has already created a niche for itself, the reach, popularity and the connect it has with people will get enhanced.”

The film is close to the actor’s heart for another reason. She plays a character with grey shades, a first in her five-year career in Bollywood. “I’m excited about playing a negative character. It’s a new area I would be exploring. Doing something unexpected helps, because as an actor, my job is to bring something new to the table for my fans,” says Yami.