Yami Gautam Recalls Hilarious Theatre Mishap from Her Early Days, Leaves Everyone in Splits

Mumbai — Bollywood actress Yami Gautam, currently basking in the success of her latest film ‘Haq’, has shared a light-hearted anecdote from her early days in theatre, recalling how a serious performance attempt unexpectedly turned into a moment of laughter.

Speaking to IANS during the promotions of ‘Haq’, the actress reminisced about a theatre class from her school days, when the subject had just been introduced and a new instructor had taken charge. She recounted delivering a dramatic line in an unintentionally comic manner, which left her classmates and teacher in splits.

“I still remember the line — ‘Keep still, you little devil, or I will slit your throat,’” Yami said. “There were about 35 students in the class, and everyone had to perform the line in their own way. When it was my turn, I said it in such a strange manner that everyone burst out laughing. I was completely serious while delivering it.”

She added that even her teacher was amused by the delivery. “She told me I sounded like a street character or a ‘pocket man’. I told her, ‘I don’t know what else to do, but at least you remember my lines. I gave it a shot,’” Yami recalled.

The actress also reflected on the role of a director in shaping a performance and maintaining narrative consistency. She said that while actors can interpret a character in multiple ways, it is ultimately the director who guides and anchors the storytelling.

“You can play a character in ten different ways, and none of them are necessarily wrong,” she explained. “But we are working in the director’s world. As actors, we are visual representations of the director’s vision, and following that vision is what makes the process enjoyable.”

Talking about ‘Haq’, Yami said the film draws inspiration from the landmark Supreme Court case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum. The case involved Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim woman who sought maintenance after being divorced through triple talaq. The apex court ruled in her favour under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, affirming that the right to maintenance applies to all citizens, irrespective of religion.

With inputs from IANS