Yami Gautam says receiving the National Film Award has changed the way she looks at her work. The actress, who was honoured for her performance in Article 370, said the recognition has made her more conscious of the roles she accepts and increased her responsibility as a performer.
Gautam was speaking at the trailer launch of her upcoming horror-comedy Nayyi Navelli, where she also discussed her ambitions, staying grounded after success and the importance of letting her work speak for itself.
Yami Gautam Says the National Award Has Changed Her Approach
For Gautam, the National Film Award represents an important form of recognition for an artist working in India’s diverse film industry.
“Winning the National Film Award is a very big honour. I feel it is the true recognition that the work of any artist working across all languages and all formats in our country can receive, and I accept it with complete humility,” she said.
The actress acknowledged that the honour has affected her outlook.
“If I say that nothing has changed, I would probably be lying,” Gautam added.
Rather than viewing the award simply as another career achievement, she said it has made her more aware of the responsibility attached to her work.
‘My Responsibility Has Now Increased’
Gautam explained that she now wants to approach her acting choices with an even greater focus on diversity and preparation.
“As an artist and an actress, my responsibility has now increased to do work with greater diversity, work harder, and continue to maintain and earn the love and respect that you all have showered on an artist like me who comes from a small town,” she said.
At the same time, Gautam stressed that she does not consider the award a sign that her journey is complete.
“I still feel that I have a long way to go. There is so much more for me to learn,” she said.
Her comments underline a recurring theme in her career: continuing to develop as an actor even after receiving major professional recognition.
Yami Gautam Says She Prefers to Keep Her Dreams Private
The discussion also turned toward international recognition.
When asked whether receiving the National Film Award had encouraged her to pursue honours such as the Oscars, Gautam said she would rather keep her personal ambitions private.
“Only you should know about your dreams. I don’t talk much. I believe in my work,” she said.
For the actress, the work itself should communicate an artist’s ambitions.
“When your work itself is your voice and your expression, you don’t need to say anything,” Gautam added.
Her response suggests that she prefers to focus on performances and projects rather than publicly outlining long-term professional targets.
‘Success Will Come and Go’
Gautam also spoke about remaining grounded despite the increased recognition.
“I am still grounded. One thing I have learnt in life is that success will come and go, but your humility is in your hands,” she said.
The comment came in the context of her National Film Award win and the attention surrounding her recent work.
For an actor, awards can bring additional visibility and expectations. Gautam’s comments indicate that she sees humility and continued learning as important parts of dealing with that attention.
Yami Gautam Plays a Mysterious Bride in Nayyi Navelli
Gautam’s next release, Nayyi Navelli, takes her into a very different world.
Directed by Balaji Mohan, the film is described as a family entertainer with supernatural elements. Gautam plays a newly married woman whose arrival appears to transform a troubled family in Meerut.
The family’s circumstances begin to change, but her brother-in-law becomes suspicious of her unusual abilities and begins to believe that she may be connected to witchcraft.
Gautam’s character is therefore positioned at the centre of the film’s mystery, combining family drama with fantasy and horror-comedy elements.
Anand L Rai Talks About Crossing Regional Boundaries
Producer Anand L Rai also discussed the film’s broader approach to India’s film industry at the trailer event.
Rai said he does not believe Indian cinema should be divided into rigid geographical or linguistic categories.
He argued against separating the industry into labels such as North and South or Bollywood and Tollywood, emphasising instead the idea of Indian artists and filmmakers working together across regional boundaries.
His comments come at a time when collaborations between artists and filmmakers from different Indian film industries have become increasingly common.
Nayyi Navelli Cast and Release Details
Alongside Yami Gautam, Nayyi Navelli features Adinath M Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Sunita Rajwar, Meeta Vashisht, Aditya Kulshreshtha, Sushmita Mukherjee and Prateek Pachauri in important roles.
The film’s music has been composed by G V Prakash Kumar.
According to the supplied release information, the project is produced under the banners of Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow.
Nayyi Navelli is scheduled to release in cinemas on October 16.
Yami Gautam Looks Ahead After a Major Career Honour
The National Film Award has added another significant milestone to Gautam’s career, but her comments suggest that she does not see the recognition as an endpoint.
Instead, she wants to use the opportunity to explore more varied work, put greater effort into her performances and continue learning.
With Nayyi Navelli offering her a supernatural and family-oriented role, the upcoming film could provide audiences with another example of her interest in moving between different kinds of characters.
For Gautam, the award may have changed the level of responsibility she feels, but her stated approach remains focused on the work itself.
