Actor Yami Gautam has opened up about being referred to as a “nationalist actor” for her recent film choices, saying she wasn’t even aware that such a label existed for her. Speaking at the trailer launch of her upcoming film Haq, the actress said that while people are free to form opinions, she prefers to concentrate on her craft instead of labels.
‘Labels Keep Changing, I Don’t Understand Them’
When asked about being called a “nationalist actor” — a reference to her recent roles in Article 370, Uri: The Surgical Strike, A Thursday, and Lost — Yami responded with humour and calm.
“Label hai, mujhe pata bhi nahi hai. I don’t know. Agar hai toh logon ka kaam hai kuch na kuch kehna. Yeh nahi toh kuch aur label, phir kuch aur, phir kuch aur. Parso kuch aur tha. Pehle kuch underrated label tha. Usse pehle kuch aur tha. It keeps shifting. Main woh sab nahi samajhti hun,” she said, pointing out how public perception constantly evolves.
The actor added that she finds joy in the stories she chooses to tell, regardless of the labels they may attract. “Jo mauka mujhe mil raha hai, jin kahaaniyon ko kehne ka, unka apna wajood hai, unki apni importance hai... Har tarike ki audience hai — tier 1, tier 2, tier 3. Koshish rehti hai ek sath logo ko jodne ki, kuch naya, kuch fresh kahaani lane ki,” she said.
‘The Audience Has Never Said That to Me’
Yami further explained that she respects the diversity of audience opinions. “Agar aap kahaani ko dekhte hain, aur aapko acha lage, woh ek achi film hai. Agar aapko kuch aur dimaag me aye, then you are a different kind of audience, and I respect that also. It's fine. But, audience ne toh mujhe kabhi bhi nahi kaha. I've been in service to them,” she added.
Yami’s Upcoming Film ‘Haq’
The actress was last seen in the Netflix comedy Dhoom Dhaam alongside Pratik Gandhi. Her next release, Haq, co-starring Emraan Hashmi, is based on the landmark 1985 Shah Bano vs Ahmed Khan case. Directed by Suparn S Varma and written by Reshu Nath, the film also features Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, and Sheeba Chadha. It is slated to release on November 7.