EXCLUSIVE Interview! Yami Gautam on Article 370, cinema & preparation for motherhood | Not Just Bollywood

Yami Gautam’s Article 370 throws light on Kashmir’s complex issue. Playing the role of Zooni Haksar in Article 370 wasn’t as easy task for her. But she nailed it with hard work and honesty.

For Not Just Bollywood Yami Gautam opens up on how women’s roles are no longer ornamental and feels if women led roles are doing well it is only for the audiences who are also evolving.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

How was your preparation for the role like for Article 370 as Zooni Haksar, your routine must have been quite different?

Not quite different, but completely different! This is definitely not the person that I am in real life. The preparation of the character had to happen in two aspects, the emotional and mental aspect and the other was about the physicality. We had military advisors, Lt. Colonel Kishwendra Singh, we also had Bhushan (sir) from NSG who helped us in weapon training and even combat training.

It had to be nothing filmy or gimmicky. I am playing someone who is based on a real life character. There is a female intelligence officer out there who has done all this. I owe so much to her and I hope I had done justice to that character. I also had a health coach and I was working on myself, there was Mustafa for my fitness, I was doing MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). And then I would end the day on my script work. It was like creating a parallel person right in front of you from the scratch. I had to completely forget that I was ‘Yami’. My character is fearless and uninhibited, and comes with an intense and emotional backstory and the challenge was to live up to it.

Did you meet the character you play or any other female intelligence officer?

I wish I could. There are security protocols and I completed respect that. The script was well researched and I was equipped with all the necessary information. There were multiple discussions with Aditya and it’s commendable how he looked at the character. Today when I read comments like you are not the heroine of the film, but you are the hero of the film, that’s exactly how the approach was.

How difficult it must have been for this character in real life not to falter because it would have been very easy for people to say oh, she was a woman. We could have given this job to a male officer, the gender has to be neutral. That thought really helped me. Someone very senior came to me and said the way I spoke my lines; I was not conscious as an actor at all.

What do you have to say about women’s role changing in cinema rapidly?

It goes way back, we have a lot of actresses to give credit to and even the directors. We had actresses like Waheeda Rehman, Nutan, Madhubala, Smita Patil, Sridevi and even Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan. I’m also talking about box-office. There is no dearth for talent, but at the end of the day it’s business. I can’t expect you to watch my film because I’m a woman. I want you to watch my film because it’s a well-made film.

It stands true to the story what we are trying to tell and it’s good casting. And today if such films are finding space and success, it shows the progress of the audience. That shows that they don’t discriminate. The producers took huge brunt by casting me, and I have to credit them for not changing the character, both mine and Priyamani’s. They could have brought in more money at the table by signing a male actor, but they didn’t want to do that. Women now have substantial roles written for them that aren’t just ornamental.

On cinema changing and roles becoming varied 

 That depends on the kind of films being made. The kind of films I associate myself with are not just projects. If it’s a good script, you can see the characters breathing. I always give importance to the cast for example, in article 370, not just me or Priyamani, every other actor has been fantastic, the way people are hooting and clapping, I feel it’s not just about the protagonist but your characters. It all comes from the writing. I am happy that with the kind of things that are coming my way, they have good stories and good performances. It’s a very refreshing change.

How did you change your diet for the role?

Very contrasting to what it is right now. I’ll give a lot of credit to Mustafa, my health coach. I’m not someone who goes on extreme diet but limited carbs as I had to lose some weight and look strong. I lost about 7-8 kilos but it was more about getting fitter. He didn’t want to feel starved or feel I was not get enough food. I finish my dinner by 6:30-7 pm. I’m very fond of tea. He wanted me to go little easy on tea and a couple of other things which I did. We worked together really well and I’m glad it all happened in the healthiest way possible without any supplements. There was little more protein, but I didn’t ever calculate but I did become that kind of a person for this film. I would report my calorie intake to Mustafa. That sense of discipline is important. I remember by the time my head used to hit the pillow, I would already be asleep. But preparing for this role getting this role will always be once in lifetime opportunity as an actor.

How are you gearing up for motherhood? 

I don’t think you can completely be prepared, but there is something very empowering and confidence that I feel and it’s a beautiful feeling, both physically and spiritually. Nature makes no mistakes and it’s exactly like that. When you feel a life inside you, move inside you when you feel that heartbeat it’s really a beautiful and heartfelt feeling. We are excited and it’s been halfway through and it’s great. My mother was still a student and studying when she was expecting me, she was pursuing higher studies.

Luckily, when I came to know about my pregnancy, most of the action was already done. And it’s great when you have a very understanding partner. All I had to do was make sure I don’t overthink or get too overwhelmed. I’m capable of balancing my life and right now, this is the most important thing for me. I had to be cautious but not conscious. This is one of the most important films of my life, and I had to sit and gather and make sure that I have to do this. My mother always tells me that whatever you do during this time, it always reflects on your child.

How much pressure did you take since this was a real life character?

I had to make sure didn’t take any pressure, I had to be just aware. There has to be a sense of awareness always, a sense of creativity. I would rephrase it and call it responsibility. There’s a layer of energy beyond that and it deserved everything.