Yami Gautam Dhar is set to showcase her versatility in the upcoming Netflix film, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, directed by Ajay Singh. After impressing audiences with her performance in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Lost, the actress takes on a completely different role as Neha Grover, a flight attendant in a heist/hijack thriller. The film, produced by Maddock Films, is set to release on March 24th.
In a recent interview at Netflix’s Mumbai office, Yami revealed how she decides which projects to take on, saying, “Is it exciting for me as an actor and audience? Would I watch this film? That’s what I’m thinking when I am reading a script. I thought Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga was one of those films. It’s very different from the films I have done in the recent past. It’s a popcorn entertainment heist thriller. I watched the film a few days ago and I had fun watching it.”
Yami acknowledges that a theatrical release provides a unique cinematic experience, but with the rise of OTT platforms, the industry is evolving. “Nobody would have thought that OTT would change the demography of watching cinema. My sincerity towards my performance will remain the same, whether the film is going to release in cinemas or on OTT,” she said.
Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga is Yami’s sixth OTT film and the third Netflix Original Film in India. The actress has had success on streaming platforms, with Disney+Hotstar’s A Thursday being the second most-streamed film in 2022. Yami attributes this to the challenge of finding her audience, saying, “The kind of shift I have seen in my audiences based on what I read about myself, and I take it seriously, is that ‘If Yami is part of a film, then it must be something different, let’s watch it.’ I respect my audience a lot. I value their verdict the most.”
Yami’s breakout role was in the 2012 film, Vicky Donor, directed by Shoojit Sircar. She has since had success in mid-budget films such as Uri: The Surgical Strike, directed by her husband Aditya Dhar. While Yami acknowledges the importance of the producer’s role in determining a film’s distribution, she recognizes that mid-budget films require a different approach. “Although Uri was a huge surprise for a mid-budget film, the math for a mid-budget film is very different. The makers have to be safe and make sure that they will be able to recover their money,” she explained.
As Yami continues to showcase her versatility on both the big and small screens, fans can look forward to her performance in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, a thrilling heist film set to entertain audiences on Netflix.