An actor, fashionista, and fitness enthusiast, Yami Gautam dons many hats. But she is also someone, who despite being under the lens of the camera, believes in keeping things real. Hence, it was extremely refreshing when the Bhoot Police actor opened up about her skin condition — keratosis-pilaris — to her over 14.5m followers on social media.
“For those who haven’t heard about this, it’s a skin condition wherein you get tiny bumps on the skin. I promise they aren’t as bad as your mind and your neighbor aunty makes it out to be) I developed this skin condition during my teenage years, and there is still no cure for it,” she had said.
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Similarly, the actor also won hearts when she decided to tie the know with filmmaker Aditya Dhar in a simple ceremony in the company of just their immediate family, wearing her mother’s sari. “It was traditional, full of rituals, and raw,” she said.
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In a similar vein, Yami spoke with indianexpress.com about the idea of happiness, opting to have an close-knit wedding ceremony, her personal style, her skin condition, and more. Excerpts:
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Congratulations on your wedding! How has life changed for you ever since you got married?
Thank you so much! Life is pretty much the same post marriage as well, nothing has drastically changed. I’m super caught up with multiple projects coming up and trying to take breaks in the middle to spend time with my husband and family!
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You opted for a simple yet extremely elegant look for your wedding. Is that how you had always visualised your biggest day to be?
I feel your wedding day should reflect you as a person. Aditya and I are extremely simple and private individuals for whom family matters the most. We always envisioned having a wedding with our immediate family. Our love for traditions and rituals supersedes anything else. That is what was reflected in the way we got married. It was traditional, full of rituals, and raw. We wanted to get married here (in Mandi) because it is where my heart belongs. The wedding should reflect what you believe in rather than what others expect from you. I want to give this message: whatever gives you happiness, do that. The idea is to do what you believe in and not set or create any pressure for yourself and your family, even financially. I have come across parents, who were forced to spend lakhs or crores of rupees on a wedding to please people. I really felt for them. That really affected me. I am so lucky to have found someone who shares the same core values in Aditya. So, when we made the decision to get married, we wanted a wedding that spoke to us.
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You also set massive bridal goals. Would you like to share tips and tricks on how one can ace the bridal look?
I hope there were bridal goals! As I have said before, you don’t have to spend a lot or burn a hole in your pocket to look beautiful on your wedding day. My brief for my mehendi outfit was simple. I wanted to look how my mother and grandmother looked at their weddings because, I think, they looked gorgeous. That was original designing and styling because it was true to their roots and local culture. I loved those colours, gotta patti work and style when I looked at it as a kid. So, I was very certain about it. I always knew I would get married in my mother’s sari; and the way my mother had preserved that sari was really beautiful. My nani gifted me the dupatta that I carried. I wore the traditional nath that is passed onto future generations. I did my own makeup and kept it minimal. My sister did my hair. I will never forget the way it all happened. It was extremely special because we were doing everything on our own. Everyone hopes for blessings from their family, relatives, industry folks, and fans, but we were overwhelmed with all the love people showered us with. My message to anyone who is getting married, you don’t need to feel any kind of pressure. Dig in the vintage wardrobes of the previous generation, and you could create your own special look.
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How would you describe your personal style? If not in front of the camera, what are you most likely to dress up in?
My personal style is very comfortable. I keep switching from one thing to another. I don’t have a strict dressing style. Sometimes, I feel like wearing Indian, sometimes I feel like wearing a nice shirt with high-waist pants and heels or simply jeans with a t-shirt. So, it depends on where I am going and my mood. Of late, I have discovered my love for traditional meeting the modern styling. Many people have loved that fusion. So, I really enjoy wearing them. I see a lot of young designers coming up with a lot of new ideas, and I love experimenting. So, whatever you wear, you need to feel comfortable. Be open to experimenting and not sticking to just one thing. My ground rule is to keep it classy!
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You also usually keep it basic with your makeup, something that is an essential part of your profession. Is it a challenging decision to make?
Minimalism is key for me. I prefer to keep it more authentic and natural as it resonates best with my personality. My peers are supportive of the fact that minimal make-up makes me feel more like myself than layers of cakey make-up. The professional demand is not just a part of vanity but also to create a character. It is done keeping in mind what kind of character I am playing in the film. If I am playing someone like Pari in Bala, who loves to dress up, the make-up will be slightly exaggerated. In Vicky Donor, we tweaked a little to make me look Bengali. When I played Supriya, a visually impaired girl, in Kaabil, we needed to make sure it looked as natural as possible. In all the films I have done, the idea is to look like the character. And that is possible with correct hair and make-up.
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You had also recently opened up folliculitis as you shared some untouched pictures of yours. What led you to ‘you embrace this fact and accept it enough to be okay with it’?
I’ve dealt with Keratosis-Pilaris for many years now and finally decided to let go of all my fears and insecurities and found the courage to love and accept myself wholeheartedly. When I was in the middle of a couple of photoshoots, just when the images were about to go in for post-production for editing, I thought to myself to just embrace this condition and accept my skin just the way it is. That’s when I took to Instagram to share unfiltered images of myself with my followers and openly talked about my skin condition to encourage young women out there to embrace and love themselves beyond unrealistic standards of beauty.
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What does your daily skin and hair care routine look like?
I believe in using chemical-free and natural products for my skin and hair. I use homemade exfoliation packs regularly to open pores that allow my skin to breathe. Also, sleeping with make-up on is a big no for me! For my hair, I regularly use an egg white and coconut/olive oil paste for deep conditioning and maintain the gloss and shine after all the damage I put them through during shoots.
What does fitness mean to you?
Fitness for me is a lifestyle. I practice yoga and meditation regularly to rejuvenate my inner self. I believe that it’s important to be at peace mentally and emotionally to be physically fit. I eat everything as long as it is home-cooked food. I try to eat my last meal by 7:30-8:00 PM.
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The pandemic affected everyone in some way; what was your biggest pandemic lesson?
The lockdown grounded me in many ways. I realised that family is the biggest support one could have during tough times, unfortunately, I was stuck in Mumbai and couldn’t be around my family during that phase. The pandemic also taught me how to be patient and to trust God’s plan and believe that everything will work out for the best, eventually.
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Can you talk about your association with Good Vibes?
My perception of beauty has always been to be your natural self in what makes you comfortable, and it feels great to work with a brand that echoes the same values. Good Vibes is truly a brand that demonstrates the purity of nature in its products and has over time become a confidante for all my beauty needs. I am excited to partner with the brand and bring nature-inspired beauty to every woman!
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