Yami Gautam with co-star Ayushmann Khurrana in Vicky Donor

There isn’t much that we know about you...

There isn’t much to tell! I am from Chandigarh and the first TV show that I did was Chand Ke Paar Chalo for Imagine TV. Since then, I have done two more shows, RaajkumarAaryyan and Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to move from television to movies. Though there had been film offers in the past, I decided to wait for something like a Vicky Donor because I didn’t want to be on the big screen just for the heck of it. I wanted to make my debut with something substantial and I think Vicky Donor is the right film. Considering the film deals with sperm donation, it could have gone either way but I had faith in (director) Shoojit Sircar.

But weren’t you apprehensive about being a part of a film about sperm donation? How did your family react?

My parents are just so supportive. My dad has always been my biggest critic while mom loves every single thing I do (laughs). So, it’s a great balance. I obviously told them about the subject as soon as I had signed the film. I also gave dad the script to read just before we started shooting and he loved it. They are just very happy and proud of me and that means the world to me.

How did you land the part?

The casting director called me for an audition after seeing the ads that I had done. I did a screen test. Then Shoojit called me in for another screen test. His problem was that I was too Punjabi and the character is Bengali. So, I had to work on my look and mannerisms. It was fun.

Both Ayushmann Khurrana and you are from Chandigarh. Did you know each other?

We are family friends. But we were never friends. When we started work on the film, we were surprised that we’d be making our Bollywood debuts together. The world is a small place.... Ayushmaan is a superb actor. It doesn’t seem like this is his first movie. Also, he is so talented. It was very inspiring to work with him.

Compared to TV, how different was shooting a film?

It’s quite different. They both come with their own demands. In television, you always have another episode to get things right. With films, once its released, there is nothing you can do. Also, television today is so driven by the demands of TRP that I feel it’s not creative any more. Fortunately for someone like me, films still have a space where people can experiment. After doing TV for all these years, film seems like an ocean. There is so much to explore. Shooting Vicky Donor in Delhi was such an amazing experience.

TV actors have a certain image. Has it been easy for you to get out of that?

I think people are a lot more open these days. But, obviously, I need to prove myself in films now. There have been instances where a director hasn’t liked me because I had done TV before. Fortunately for me, most people remember me from the commercials that I have done.

Prachi Desai is the only actress who has successfully managed the switch...

Though I haven’t watched her show (Kasamh Se) I know that Prachi’s was very different from Yeh Pyar…. Also, fortunately for me, as soon as the show started going into the saas-bahu space, it was pulled off air (laughs). I guess God is kind because I didn’t really get the TV bahu tag, ever.

Did the fact that John Abraham was your producer intimidate you?

Not at all. John is the sweetest, and he doesn’t have any trappings of a star. He is very down to earth. He has been involved with the film right from the beginning. At the same time, he didn’t interefere in the creative process at all. He is a dream producer.

Most debutantes have a wish-list of directors they would like to work with. Do you have one?

(Laughs) The list is endless. There is just so much talent in the industry. But I don’t want to name anyone because otherwise it will end up sounding like the film directory. I would want to work with as many creative people as possible.