At a time when India’s global presence is being shaped as much by cinema and culture as by policy and diplomacy, conversations around storytelling have grown sharper. Films are debated not only for performances and box office numbers, but also for the ideas they carry. It was against this backdrop that Yami Gautam took the stage at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, themed Strength Within, and addressed a question many actors often avoid.
Has choosing politically sensitive films ever cost her work? The actor, known for backing strong narratives, responded with rare candour.
Did political films affect Yami Gautam’s career?
During a session at the summit, Yami was asked, “Kabhi aapke saath aisa nahi hua ki certain film makers said main aapko cast karta but you did that film toh uske baad I don’t want to cast you?” She answered thoughtfully, without defensiveness.
“Not off late. Shayad ho sakta hai ki ek point hoga kuch 3-4 saal pahle ki aisa agar koi sochte bhi honge. But abhi jaha hum khade hai, jis tarah ki filmein main kar rahi hu ya mujhe directors jis tarah ki films offer kar rahe hai, I don’t see that now.” Her response suggested that while there may have been hesitation in the past, the industry’s mindset appears to be shifting.
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‘Keeping politics aside, it’s a well-made film’
Yami, who has headlined films such as Article 370 and Haq, emphasised that craft ultimately outweighs political perception. “In fact, someone also messaged that keeping politics aside, we could not deny that whatever our political inclination might be, but this is a well-made film, chaahe woh Article 370 ho, ya Haq ho and it did made us question what we are believing is right? Or let’s look at it in another way also.”
For her, the strength of cinema lies not in pushing an agenda, but in encouraging audiences to think. A film, she implied, should open conversations rather than close them.
“Camera bohot transparent hota hai”
Expanding on her belief in honest storytelling, Yami added, “And I think that’s the power of cinema somewhere, and that’s the power of truth jo bohot transparent hota hai. Camera bohot transparent hota hai. Woh ek bareeki pakad leta hai, woh ek nafs na ki sirf ek performer ki, but of that writer and that intention of that writer and the director ki woh kya hai.”
Her words underlined a simple idea: authenticity cannot be masked for long. The lens captures intention as much as performance.
‘Ye ek naya Hindustan hai’
Placing her views in the larger narrative of a changing nation, she remarked, “And I think waqt jaisi ki keh rahe hai ye ek naya Hindustan hai. Toh ye ek modern cinema hai jaha par badlav yaha bhi zaruri hai aur bilkul woh badlav dikhega.” Her comments echoed the broader tone of the summit, where speakers discussed India’s evolving identity, one visible not only in GDP charts but also in cinema halls, stadiums and global platforms.
For Yami Gautam, confidence today means standing by one’s creative decisions. In an industry that once worried about labels, she believes audiences are now judging films on merit. And in what she calls a “naya Hindustan,” that shift may just define the future of modern Indian cinema.