‘As an industry, we need better stories’ says Yami Gautam on how to make a hit film

As the trailer of Yami Gautam starrer ‘Lost’ dropped recently, the Bollywood actress spoke about the upcoming feature in which she plays the role of a crime reporter named Riddhi Sahani, who is ruthless in her pursuit for the truth. The trailer begins with the disclaimer that around 665 people go missing in India every year.

Speaking to WION, Yami Gautam answers some interesting questions about the film that is touted to be inspired by true events. On what makes the story of Lost stand out amid a sea of content that is available to stream on multiple OTT channels, Yami said, “We need interesting stories to break the clutter. As actors, it gives us immense joy and happiness to celebrate each other's successes because if one actress gets a brilliant opportunity, it naturally opens up avenues for other actresses. As an industry, what we need is better stories, better rules and I am not just talking about myself. Thinking from a protagonist’s point of view is not enough. At the end of the day, a film is a wholesome package.”

Yami feels that the onus of a film working with the audience doesn’t only lie with the actor or actress. The actress said, “I don’t think audiences evaluate or measure a film based on which actor or actress is headlining it. It is the character which impacts their thoughts. Also, collective efforts from all the departments are the perfect recipe for a film. A great mix of provoking writing and better characters will strengthen the power and contribute to the glory of Indian cinema."

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The film has seen its world premiere at IFFI and Chicago South Asian Film Festival. On the response to the upcoming feature, Yami said, Lost garnered a spectacular response at the Chicago festival. Whoever watched it, praised the film. It feels overwhelming to hear someone resonate with your film. I have personally gone through each comment ever since the trailer dropped and I am trying to soak all the love and positivity. I think the audience is quite mature, they respect a certain film for a genre that it holds. I feel there needs to be a balance for every kind of genre out there and I am happy that Lost is an amalgamation of something substantial and engaging.”

Watch the trailer of Lost here:

“Every actor wants their film to be loved by the audience. I am very attached to Lost. Tony da, my director, has literally put his soul in this film. He has really believed in this film right from day one and so have I. I am so happy to hear positive reviews about the film. There's nothing pretentious about it and that's one of the best things about Lost. I am really looking forward to the audience's reaction to Lost on ZEE5."

Directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the film also stars Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, Neil Bhoopalam, Pia Bajpiee and Tushar Pandey. The film will see a direct-to-OTT release on ZEE5. The streamer is yet to announce an official date of release.