Yami Gautam’s first National Award has given her a reason to look back at her journey, but the actor says the honour has not made her feel like she has reached the end of anything.
After more than a decade in Hindi cinema, Yami received the Best Actress award for her performance in Article 370 at the 72nd National Film Awards. Yet, instead of describing the achievement as the culmination of her career, she said the recognition had brought back the excitement she felt when she was just starting out.
Her message to aspiring actors was equally rooted in patience and uncertainty: you never really know what life has in store for you.
Yami Gautam Says the National Award Still Feels Surreal
Yami received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at the National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat.
Speaking after the ceremony, the actor said she was still processing what had happened. Rather than feeling like a veteran after receiving one of the country’s most prominent film honours, she said she continued to approach her career with the excitement of someone at the beginning of the journey.
Yami described herself as carrying the “energy of a newcomer for whom everything is so big and so special.”
That sentiment reflects how she appears to view the award — not as a final destination, but as another significant moment in a career that has continued to evolve.
From Vicky Donor to Article 370
Yami began her Hindi film career with Vicky Donor, which established her as a leading presence in the industry.
Over the years, she has moved between commercial cinema and roles that demanded a more performance-focused approach. Films such as Vicky Donor and Uri: The Surgical Strike marked different stages of her career, while Article 370 gave her an opportunity to take on the role of intelligence officer Zooni Haksar.
The performance ultimately earned her the National Award for Best Actress.
For Yami, however, the importance of Article 370 appears to extend beyond the award itself.
‘Article 370 Gave Me a Lot as an Actor’
Yami has spoken about how much the film contributed to her growth as a performer.
She said Article 370 gave her a great deal as an actor and allowed her to explore the kind of material she had wanted to take on for a long time.
Her portrayal of Zooni Haksar placed her at the centre of the film’s narrative and became one of the defining performances of this phase of her career.
The National Award recognition consequently arrived as a significant acknowledgement of that work.
Yami’s Message to Aspiring Actors
Perhaps the most striking part of Yami’s reflections was her perspective on how unpredictable an acting career can be.
After spending years building her filmography, she suggested that an actor cannot always know which project, performance or opportunity will eventually change the course of their career.
Her own journey provides an example of that unpredictability. She moved from a successful commercial debut to a range of different roles before receiving the National Award for Article 370.
For aspiring actors, her experience carries a simple message: the path may not always unfold according to the expectations one starts with.
“You don’t know what life has for you,” she said while reflecting on the journey.
Article 370 Also Wins Best Feature Film
Yami’s acting award was not the only major recognition for Article 370 at the National Film Awards.
The film also received the Best Feature Film award, while its music earned recognition as well.
Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, Article 370 was produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar. Yami played Zooni Haksar, an intelligence officer in the film’s story set against the backdrop of the events surrounding the abrogation of Article 370.
Yami’s husband, filmmaker Aditya Dhar, was also present at the National Film Awards ceremony.
A New Chapter Rather Than a Career Finish Line
For an actor with more than a decade in the industry, a National Award could easily be viewed as a definitive career milestone. Yami’s own comments suggest a different perspective.
She continues to see herself with the curiosity and enthusiasm of someone who is still discovering what she can do on screen.
The recognition for Article 370 may represent a major achievement in her career, but Yami’s reaction makes clear that she does not see it as a reason to stop experimenting.
Instead, she appears to be carrying the same sense of possibility she had when she first entered the industry — with the added knowledge that some of the biggest moments in a career can arrive when they are least expected.