By: Entertainment DeskNew Delhi | December 25, 2025 04:51 PM IST 3 min readYami Gautam says she stopped questioning in industry. (Photo: Yami Gautam/Instagram)Yami Gautam is a familiar and respected face today. Known for leading films such as Uri: The Surgical Strike and Article 370, she is also the wife of Dhurandhar director Aditya Dhar. However, her journey to this point was anything but easy. Yami entered the entertainment industry at just 20 years old. Before films, she spent several years working in television. In 2010, she made her big-screen debut with the Kannada film Ullasa Utsaha, but fame continued to elude her.It was in 2012 that she marked her Bollywood debut with Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor, co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana. While the film was both a critical and commercial success, it did not translate into immediate security for Yami. In fact, she found herself questioning whether she had a future in the industry at all.Speaking recently to Humans of Bombay, Yami opened up about this uncertain phase of her life. “Back then, things were much more challenging,” she said. “There were times when I would think, ‘I don’t think it’s going to work out,’ or ‘Should I go back or hold on a little longer?’ You start wondering—‘Is this it?’”When asked when she felt this way, Yami replied without hesitation: “Multiple times.”ALSO READ | Dhurandhar star Akshaye Khanna ‘not at all humble,’ claims journalist; fans react: ‘Jealous’“There’s never just one moment,” she explained. “Even after coming into films, even after Vicky Donor, there were moments when I questioned a lot of things. You take people at face value, but later realise there’s often subtext to what they’re saying. Everyone has suggestions and advice, but all I needed was good work.”Reflecting on her self-doubt, she added, “If I am the same person who did a film like Vicky Donor, then I must have some potential.”Story continues below this adYami also spoke about the unpredictability of casting decisions. “I realised that every film reveals something new, and you’re never ‘good enough’ to get THAT film of your life. So what’s the point of obsessing? Whether you’re cast in a film depends on someone else’s decision, and that decision isn’t always based on your potential—it’s influenced by many other factors.”When asked to elaborate, she said, “It could be anything. Not just in the industry—anywhere. Very random reasons, often ones that don’t make sense. But you also can’t force someone to like you enough to cast you. I am happy to screen test.”Sharing an example, Yami recalled, “I screen tested for Kaabil, and I was more than happy to do that. I am not saying it was for Kaabil but when you’re asked to screen test while another contemporary isn’t, you do wonder—why the difference?”These repeated experiences eventually led Yami to a turning point.Story continues below this ad“I decided to stop questioning,” she said. “I took a breather and rewired the way I approached films—choosing the kind of stories and directors I wanted to associate with, within the choices I had. And that’s when Uri and Bala happened. After that, everything changed.”Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd