Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 26: Actor Yami Gautam, who has been receiving widespread appreciation for her film Haq this year, has opened up about the unequal casting practices she faced earlier in her career, particularly during the making of Kaabil.

In a candid interaction with Humans of Bombay, Yami said she had no hesitation in giving a screen test for Kaabil, but admitted she did question why she was asked to audition when some of her contemporaries were not. “I screen-tested for Kaabil and I was more than happy to do that. But when you’re asked to screen-test while another contemporary isn’t, you do wonder why the difference,” she said.

The actor revealed that instead of dwelling on such disparities, she chose to change her approach. “I decided to stop questioning. 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,” Yami said.

Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of casting, Yami said she realised that being selected for a role often has little to do with an actor’s potential. “Whether you’re cast in a film depends on someone else’s decision, and that decision isn’t always based on your capability. It’s influenced by many random factors that often don’t make sense,” she said.

She added that one can never be “good enough” for every film and that obsessing over casting decisions serves little purpose. “You can’t force someone to like you enough to cast you. I’m absolutely fine with screen tests,” she remarked.

Yami’s latest film Haq, directed by Suparn Verma and produced by Junglee Pictures in association with Baweja Studios, is scheduled for release on November 7, 2025.