Special Interview with Yami Gautam Dhar

"I believe that if you have the talent, especially in today's time, opportunities won't be too far away" YAMI GAUTAM DHAR tells JYOTHI VENKATESH

Do you think a person whether he is an actor or for that matter an actress ought to have talent if he or she wants to make a name for him or herself in acting per se?

Yes. I’d definitely say that talent is perennial. If you have it in you then you will get all the opportunities in the world to prove yourself as an actor or actress.

Do you think that the pandemic has changed the way we used to look at things in Bollywood with the arrival of platforms like OTT?

Yes. The pandemic has changed a lot of things. The past was different. The magic of the big screen where you were the only highlight in a dark room, the larger than life context has changed with the emergence of the OTT and regional cinema in a big phenomenal manner.

In what way do you think that film making has changed in the recent two years after the pandemic?

For actors, it won't be easy to get people back to the theatre unless the story is really good. The audience is demarcating us now and telling us what to give them

You were seen in web series like A Thursday and web film like Dasvi recently. What do you prefer- Acting films or OTT platforms?

If you ask me, frankly I’d say that I am platform agnostic as long as it's good content.

Do you think that more than the actors per se, it is the poor technicians who had to bear the brunt of the pandemic?

What we went through during pandemic was more than professional. As actors, we knew at the back of our minds that this was a backlog and we would get work once the waves wane. It is unfortunately the technicians and daily wagers who had to suffer a lot.

Now that the pandemic has gone, do you feel that there is a lot of hope?

The idea of insecurity and competition is still there. As a debut, it should happen to everyone. It's a process.

Even while multiple platforms are emerging, do you think that the challenges have also increased?

With multiple platforms, work will always be there but challenges will definitely erupt as only brilliant work and actors will stand out. Pandemic gave perspective to creative people.

Do you think that unlike Bollywood, the South Indian film industry is very punctual?

South Indian cinema has always been very punctual with shoots. Though I’d say that there will be problems everywhere, I haven't encountered anything unprofessional, at least as yet right from the time I had made my debut either with Vicky Donor in films or for that matter TV serials earlier with Raajkumar Aryan and Yeh Pyar Nahi Hoga Kam.

You made your television debut with Raajkumar Aaryyan (2008) followed by Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam (2009). Then you made your debut in films with Kannada film, Ullasa Uthsaha (2010), followed by your debut in Punjabi film Ek Noor (2011) and Telugu film Nuvvila (2011). You then made your Malayalam film debut with Hero (2012) and Tamil film debut with Gouravam (2013). What do you find exciting as far as regional cinema is concerned?

Anything new is exciting as far as regional cinema is concerned. With the pandemic, everyone was exposed to this content, which was already there before but was now getting noticed because of the conversations. It has become a global village. I don't question it.

You have had neither any insider in the industry nor a godfather. What do you have to say about nepotism in Bollywood?

As long as any conversation happens with grace and the right intent, it's fine. It's a valid conversation. The idea is to ensure that everyone who is talented and deserving should get work, coexist and thrive.

Good talent, irrespective of the home they were born in, must be honed. There is no point in denigrating any one on the basis of nepotism as talent wherever it is ought to be recognised.

A strong believer of "you can't control the house you are born in", I have always said that I believe that if you have the talent, especially in today's time, opportunities won't be too far away. You have got to accept that star kids will always have more opportunities, and breaking your head over it achieves nothing at the end of the day.

Social media has become very rampant today unlike in the past when it was in the fledgling stage. What do you have to say about this?

I am of the opinion that social media should be used for the good. When I came out about my condition, it was because I wanted to drive a positive change. Nobody is perfect and it is okay to own the imperfections.

Can you throw some light on the distinction between big screens and OTT? Do you think after observing the last two years it is quite a long time to inculcate a habit, and make OTT quite a convenient choice for the audience at the moment.