After A Thursday, Yami Gautam is picking up kudos for playing a fearless and sensitive crime reporter in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s film Lost, streaming on ZEE5. Yami chatted with us about her favourite scenes from Lost, bonding with Pankaj Kapur and her upcoming Netflix release Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga.

Yami picks five of her most challenging scenes from Lost…

Vidhi and Nanu at the dining table: All the scenes with my character Vidhi and Nanu (Pankaj Kapur) are close to my heart. If I have to pick one, it will be the first scene in the film where the two of them are sitting at the dining table. They are having an intense conversation, which changes to a light one very organically. Vidhi talks about how the news story has become very important to her. They eventually start talking about the lost boy and Vidhi tells him Ishaan and Ankita’s love story. The entire credit for this scene goes to Pankajji and Tonyda (Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury).

Vidhi and Neel’s conversation at Vidhi’s house: My next favourite scene is where Vidhi and her boyfriend Neel (Neil Bhoopalam) are having a conversation at Vidhi’s house. Neel asks her why this news story is such a big deal for her. I think this scene has the crux of the story. This is something that the audience would ask – ‘What’s the big deal? It is not a murder mystery. It is very simple.’ Neel is reflecting the audience somewhere. That is when Vidhi says, ‘Ishaan is a human being. Don’t try and add an angle to it. The way Ishaan went missing is wrong.’ This scene is very crucial in the film.

Vidhi and Ankita’s meeting after the elections: In this scene, we get to see a dynamic shift in a very subtle way. It is where Vidhi confronts Ankita (Pia Bajpiee). After Ankita wins the elections, she says, ‘Who doesn’t want to stay good? Everyone does. Everyone compromises for that.’

Vidhi meets Ishaan’s sister: This is an intense one. The character is played by Honeyy Jain. I think she did a brilliant job. She’s so natural as Ishaan’s sister. The scene was shot in Flurys. She tells Vidhi, ‘If there’s any need, I’m going to leave my husband and stay with my mother. I don't want to leave India.’ Vidhi is just looking at her and listening.

Vidhi and Varman’s meeting: They meet only once in the film. It was shot in an interesting way. Although there’s so much tension between the two characters, it feels very calm.

Which is the one scene in Lost that stands out for you?

Yami Gautam: The scene between Nanu (Pankaj Kapur) and Varman (Rahul Khanna) is my favourite. In this scene, Nanu visits Varman for the first and only time. Nanu says, ‘I’m not here to order you, I’m here to warn you. You stay away from my granddaughter because if you cause her any harm, mere hatho ka swad to tum jante ho.’

I think the intensity with which Pankajji has performed the scene without raising his voice and just using his whole body language is amazing. That is the mark of a true actor. That is why he’s a legend. When I watched that scene, I felt that you don’t need power and strength to prove that you’re strong. Whatever is in your mind, it will come to your eyes and body language automatically.

Your chemistry with Pankaj Kapur is crucial to the film. How did that happen?

Yami Gautam: I remember my first day of shoot with Pankajji. While I was very excited to be working with him, I was nervous at the same time. I wanted to create the best impression. I didn’t want to mess up and fumble. I tried to make sure whatever I had prepped fell into place.

I was ready and was sitting and watching him prepare. In the first scene, he was supposed to be gardening while talking to me. Pankajji is very particular about his own props. He is very specific about the little details. He took some mitti (soil) from the flower pot and rubbed it in his hands while taking the towel on his shoulder. These little details go into the making of a character. He believes small things make a huge difference. I was watching him do all that. That made me feel really good and happy. The moment inspired me very much.

We barely had any rehearsals. That was the first time we were meeting. He was so nice, warm and simple. It’s the simplicity that makes an actor stand apart from the rest. The respect between us was pretty mutual. It’s just the same feeling between us that has transpired on to the screen, which the audience is loving.

What did you do to prepare for the role of a journalist?

Yami Gautam: There was no reference point for my character, Vidhi. That was an intentional call that both Tonyda and I took. He mentioned that he didn’t want any kind of reference to be drawn. He wanted Vidhi to be very natural. When she’s walking down the road, and there’s a lot of walking on the streets, she should be able to blend in. When she starts talking, that’s where the difference is. He didn’t want to see any projection of any performance. Vidhi doesn’t need to be loud to prove something. She has her own way of doing it. It was extremely natural. Less is more — Tonyda kept telling me.

One of my favourite films is Spotlight (the 2015 film directed by Tom McCarthy on an investigation led by Boston Globe’s journalists). I love the film and I loved the fact that it had some of the most amazing actors who were so simple and natural. The direction was so simple but yet so impactful.

How was your work equation with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury?

Yami Gautam: Tonyda wants to create cinema. It is not just another film or project. He’s very passionate. More than for anyone, I really wanted this film to work for Tonyda. I have a great respect for filmmakers, especially those who are nice people. He’s one of the nicest directors with whom I got an opportunity to work. He’s all heart. You might not be the best of actors but if you’re willing to work, he’s there. He’s not there to make anybody’s day bad or worse. He just wants everybody to have fun while working. That’s one of the best things about him.

Tonyda and food, Tonyda and Kolkata go a long way. He would make me eat almost everything. Unfortunately, during the shoot of Lost, I developed a condition called parosmia; it’s a condition where your taste buds completely change post-Covid. Like the green coriander tastes like soap to me. Jeera powder tastes like metal to me. It’s very annoying. Only the sweets tasted as they were, thankfully!

You experiment with your roles, which is evident from A Thursday, Dasvi and Lost. All these characters fight for a cause. What motivates you to pick these roles?

Yami Gautam: I loved the scripts. I loved my roles. A female character weaving the film is not important. The storytelling is important. Just having a strong cause is not enough. It’s a film at the end of the day. The script needs to be good. It needs to be engaging. It needs to be exciting for me as an actor. I’m glad that it started with a film like A Thursday and of course Dasvi and now Lost. Though Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga has no social message! (Laughs)

I’m breaking out of what I’ve done as an actor, in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga. I’m on the lookout for that script in the next film. Doing even better is another challenge.

Tell us about Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga…

Yami Gautam: I play Neha who’s an airhostess in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga (slated to release on Netflix). Describing a thriller is very tricky.

It is the story of a flight attendant and her boyfriend’s plan to steal diamonds to settle an old debt. But mid-air, everything goes wrong and turns into a hostage situation. This is my second film after Bala with Amar Kaushik. He has written and co-produced the film. I found it very intense. Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga is an entertaining film where you just have fun. These are very different roles that I have tried from my side to create that kind of variety or versatility… to do justice to each and every character.