Last updated: 30 September 2026
Eight days separate two very different pictures of Yami Gautam. On 22 September 2026, President Droupadi Murmu presented her with the National Film Award for Best Actress for playing intelligence officer Zooni Haksar in Article 370. On 30 September, the trailer for her next film arrived, and this time she is Mohini, a perfect new bride in a Meerut household whose brother-in-law suspects she might be a witch.
It is the same actress, and that contrast is the story. For years, Bollywood mostly offered Yami Gautam romantic leads and love-interest parts. The National Award came after a long run of roles that kept pushing against that, from a war-film intelligence officer to a playschool teacher holding sixteen children hostage to a real-life litigant in a landmark Supreme Court case.
This profile follows how that change happened: the Chandigarh childhood, the television years, a Hindi debut that worked, the stretch of films that did not, the one that reset everything, and a complete film-by-film list you can come back to.
Yami Gautam Quick Facts
| Full name | Yami Gautam Dhar (born Yami Gautam) |
| Born | 28 November 1988, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Age | 37 (as of 30 September 2026) |
| Raised in | Chandigarh |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2008 to present |
| Television debut | Chand Ke Paar Chalo (2008) |
| Film debut | Ullasa Utsaha (2010, Kannada) |
| Hindi film debut | Vicky Donor (2012) |
| Best known for | Vicky Donor, Badlapur, Uri: The Surgical Strike, Bala, A Thursday, Article 370, Haq |
| Major award | National Film Award for Best Actress (Article 370) |
| Spouse | Aditya Dhar (married 4 June 2021) |
| Next release | Nayyi Navelli (in cinemas 16 October 2026) |
Who Is Yami Gautam?
Yami Gautam Dhar, known professionally as Yami Gautam, is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi films. She began on television in 2008, made her Hindi film debut in Vicky Donor (2012) and is best known for Uri: The Surgical Strike, Bala, A Thursday, Article 370 and Haq. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Article 370, presented on 22 September 2026. She has been credited as Yami Gautam Dhar since her 2022 releases, after her marriage to filmmaker Aditya Dhar.
Early Life: From Chandigarh Classrooms to Mumbai
Yami Gautam did not grow up chasing a film career, even though cinema ran in the family. Her father, Mukesh Gautam, is a Punjabi film director. She was born in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and raised in Chandigarh, where she has described a disciplined, academic and fairly grounded childhood, well away from the glamour of the industry. Her younger sister, Surilie Gautam, is also an actress, and she has a younger brother, Ojas.
The plan was the civil services. As a young girl she hoped to join the Indian Administrative Service, and she began a law honours degree. Some modelling work in her late teens helped her get past stage hesitation. Then, at 20, she changed direction, left full-time studies and moved to Mumbai to act.
Career
Television first, then a bet on films (2008 to 2010)
Television was the way in. Her first show was Chand Ke Paar Chalo, followed by a lead role in Raajkumar Aaryyan, and Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam on Colors made her a recognisable face to a wider audience. In 2010 she also appeared on the reality shows Meethi Choori No. 1 and Kitchen Champion. Her early public profile was shaped by brand work as well, including endorsements for skin-lightening products, a chapter she has since discussed in the context of colourism and beauty standards.
Vicky Donor: a debut that worked (2010 to 2012)
Her first film was the Kannada title Ullasa Utsaha (2010), where she played the lead. Her Hindi debut came two years later, and it could hardly have been a bolder choice. In Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor (2012), a comedy about a young man who becomes a sperm donor, she played Ashima Roy, a Bengali bank employee who falls for him and then has to deal with what he has been doing. The film also marked Ayushmann Khurrana’s debut, became a major commercial success and won Yami the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut, shared with Ileana D’Cruz for Barfi!.
It was the kind of debut most actors spend years chasing. What came next was harder.
The hard middle (2013 to 2018)
After Vicky Donor, Yami was away from Hindi cinema for two years, working instead in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. When she returned in 2014 with Total Siyapaa and Action Jackson, both underperformed. Badlapur (2015), a dark revenge thriller with Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was a critical and commercial success and gave her a stronger supporting role. Then Sanam Re and Junooniyat (both 2016) did not work. Kaabil (2017), a revenge thriller in which she played a visually impaired woman opposite Hrithik Roshan, did. She followed it with a brief part in Sarkar 3 and a lawyer’s role in Batti Gul Meter Chalu (2018).
Read the list of those years and a pattern shows: love interests, wives and supporting parts, with an occasional hit to keep the career moving. By her own account, she was being typecast. Then a filmmaker offered her something different.
Uri: the film that changed the question (2019)
That filmmaker was Aditya Dhar. In Uri: The Surgical Strike, his directorial debut, Yami played intelligence officer Pallavi Sharma opposite Vicky Kaushal. The Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta singled her character out from the film’s supporting women, and the film earned over ₹342 crore worldwide, making it the fourth-highest grossing Hindi film of 2019.
The same year she reunited with Ayushmann Khurrana in Bala, playing Pari Mishra, a ditsy influencer and part-time model, in a satire about how much people judge each other by appearance. It crossed ₹100 crore in India within about two weeks and earned her a Screen Award for Best Comedian. It is hard not to notice that an actress who began her career endorsing skin-lightening creams was now in a hit film that poked fun at exactly those anxieties.
Two hits in one year, one as a hard-edged officer and one as a comic influencer. The question around her was no longer whether she could play the girl next door.
The streaming years: stranger, sharper roles (2020 to 2023)
When the pandemic moved films online, Yami’s range moved with them. Ginny Weds Sunny (Netflix, 2020) paired her with Vikrant Massey, and Bhoot Police (2021) was a horror comedy with Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez. Then came A Thursday (2022), in which she played Naina Jaiswal, a playschool teacher who takes sixteen children hostage. The film received mixed reviews, but her performance was praised, and she earned a Best Actress nomination at IIFA.
She followed it with Dasvi, playing an IPS officer opposite Abhishek Bachchan and Nimrat Kaur, then Lost, where she was a crime journalist, and Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, where she played a flight attendant planning a diamond heist. In 2023 she played a lawyer in OMG 2 with Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi, one of the year’s highest-grossing Hindi films, and received a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Article 370, Haq and the National Award (2024 to 2026)
Article 370 (2024) was close to home. It was produced by her husband, Aditya Dhar, and Yami has called it a story she deeply believed in and said that its being a home production makes the recognition more personal. She played Zooni Haksar, an intelligence officer working towards the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Reviews were mixed, with criticism of the film’s tone, but her performance was consistently praised, and it became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2024. Dhoom Dhaam, a Netflix comedy with Pratik Gandhi about newlyweds on the run, followed in 2025.
Haq (November 2025) asked for something else entirely. Inspired by the landmark Shah Bano case, it cast her as Shazia Bano Begum opposite Emraan Hashmi, in a courtroom drama about a woman fighting for maintenance after her husband abandons her. The Hindu called her performance career-defining. Theatrically, the film underperformed, with estimated earnings well below its reported budget, but it later topped the Netflix charts. In 2026 she also appeared in a cameo in Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
On 18 July 2026, the National Film Awards named her Best Actress for Article 370. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Music, three awards in all. The trophy itself was presented by President Droupadi Murmu at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22 September 2026, her first National Award. In her own note after the win, Yami said she had spent fourteen years staying true to her craft, and that the honour felt like the culmination of that journey.
Major Work and Notable Projects
Fifteen years of work is a lot to sort through. If you want the shortest route through her career, these are the films that mark its turning points:
- Vicky Donor (2012): the debut that won her the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.
- Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019): the role that moved her away from love-interest parts.
- Bala (2019): the comedy that won her a Screen Award and a new audience.
- A Thursday (2022): the hostage thriller that showed how far her range could go.
- Article 370 (2024): the performance that won the National Award.
- Haq (2025): the courtroom drama The Hindu called career-defining.
Below is her complete film and television work, listed by year. Release details and credits are drawn from public filmographies and checked against current reporting.
Hindi Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Vicky Donor | Ashima Roy | Hindi debut; Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut |
| 2014 | Total Siyapaa | Asha Singh | Opposite Ali Zafar |
| 2014 | Action Jackson | Anusha | Directed by Prabhu Deva |
| 2015 | Badlapur | Misha Verma | With Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui |
| 2016 | Sanam Re | Shruti / Anjali | Opposite Pulkit Samrat |
| 2016 | Junooniyat | Suhani Kapoor | Opposite Pulkit Samrat |
| 2017 | Kaabil | Supriya Bhatnagar | Opposite Hrithik Roshan |
| 2017 | Sarkar 3 | Annu Karkare | Brief role |
| 2018 | Batti Gul Meter Chalu | Advocate Gulnaar Rizvi | With Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor |
| 2019 | Uri: The Surgical Strike | Pallavi Sharma | Breakthrough; directed by Aditya Dhar |
| 2019 | Bala | Pari Mishra | With Ayushmann Khurrana; Screen Award for Best Comedian |
| 2020 | Ginny Weds Sunny | Simran “Ginny” Juneja | Netflix; opposite Vikrant Massey |
| 2021 | Bhoot Police | Maya “Mayu” Kulbhushan | Horror comedy with Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez |
| 2022 | A Thursday | Naina Jaiswal | Disney+ Hotstar; hostage thriller |
| 2022 | Dasvi | IPS Jyoti Deswal | Netflix and JioCinema; with Abhishek Bachchan and Nimrat Kaur |
| 2023 | Lost | Vidhi Sahani | ZEE5; crime journalist |
| 2023 | Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga | Neha Grover | Netflix; with Sunny Kaushal |
| 2023 | OMG 2 | Advocate Kamini Maheshwari | With Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi |
| 2024 | Article 370 | Zooni Haksar | National Film Award for Best Actress |
| 2025 | Dhoom Dhaam | Koyal Chadha | Netflix; with Pratik Gandhi |
| 2025 | Haq | Shazia Bano Begum | With Emraan Hashmi; inspired by the Shah Bano case |
| 2026 | Dhurandhar: The Revenge | Shazia Bano | Cameo |
| 2026 | Nayyi Navelli | Mohini | In cinemas 16 October 2026 |
Films in Other Languages
| Year | Film | Language | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Ullasa Utsaha | Kannada | Mahalakshmi |
| 2011 | Ek Noor | Punjabi | Rabiha |
| 2011 | Nuvvila | Telugu | Archana |
| 2012 | Hero | Malayalam | Gauri Menon |
| 2013 | Gouravam | Tamil and Telugu | Yazhini / Yamini |
| 2014 | Yuddham | Telugu | Madhumita |
| 2015 | Courier Boy Kalyan | Telugu | Kavya |
| 2016 | Tamilselvanum Thaniyar Anjalum | Tamil | Kavya |
| 2021 | Shava Ni Girdhari Lal | Punjabi | Mannat (cameo) |
Television
| Year | Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 to 2009 | Chand Ke Paar Chalo | Sana |
| 2008 | Raajkumar Aaryyan | Rajkumari Bhairvi |
| 2009 to 2010 | Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam | Leher Mathur Vajpayee |
| 2010 | CID | Ananya (guest episode) |
| 2010 | Meethi Choori No. 1 and Kitchen Champion | Contestant |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Gold Awards | Rising Film Stars From TV | Vicky Donor | Won |
| 2013 | Zee Cine Awards | Best Female Debut | Vicky Donor | Won |
| 2013 | IIFA Awards | Star Debut of the Year (Female) | Vicky Donor | Won |
| 2013 | Filmfare Awards | Best Female Debut | Vicky Donor | Nominated |
| 2020 | Screen Awards | Best Comedian | Bala | Won |
| 2024 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | OMG 2 | Nominated |
| 2025 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Article 370 | Nominated |
| 2026 | National Film Awards (72nd) | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Article 370 | Won |
She has also been nominated at the Filmfare OTT Awards for A Thursday, Lost and Dhoom Dhaam.
Current Projects and Latest Updates
Nayyi Navelli: a bride, a Meerut family and a suspicion
Nayyi Navelli is the film that will test whether the audience that followed Yami into Article 370 will follow her into a fantasy comedy. It arrives in cinemas on 16 October 2026, the day of Dussehra, backed by Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow, the production house run by Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma. It is their first collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios. Balaji Mohan, known for the Tamil films Maari and Maari 2, directs in his Hindi debut. The script is by Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma, and the music is by G. V. Prakash Kumar. Early reports used the spelling Nayi Naveli and called it a horror comedy. The makers’ official title is Nayyi Navelli, and they describe it as a fantasy family entertainer.
The trailer, released on 30 September 2026, introduces Yami as Mohini, the new bahu of the Awasthi family in Meerut, whose perfect-bride act comes with questions about what she really is. Variety India described the first poster as showing her in a red saree with a monster caught in it, and the film’s hashtag is Bhabhi Daayan Hai. The supporting cast includes Addinath M Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vasisth, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Susmita Mukherjee and Prateek Pachori. Aanand L Rai has said she was an instinctive choice for the warmth and mischief the role needs. Yami has said she was drawn to Mohini because the character is never quite what you expect, and that the role let her move between family, humour, emotion, fantasy and action.
What comes next
Fourteen years in, the conversation around Yami Gautam has shifted. She has played a romantic lead, a war-film officer, a hostage-taker, a satirical influencer, a courtroom-drama heroine and now a possible witch, often within the same two or three years. The question is no longer whether she can carry a film. It is what she will choose to carry next.
Social Media Stats
| X (Twitter) | IMDb | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| @yamigautam | Not publicly verified | @yamigautam | IMDb |
| About 19.9M (third-party estimate, Aug 2026) | Not publicly verified | Not publicly verified | IMDb profile |
Social media figures are approximate and may change.
Personal Life
Yami’s marriage started the way her best-known film did, with work. She has said her relationship with Aditya Dhar began as a friendship during the promotion of Uri, the film he directed. On 4 June 2021, they married in a small ceremony in Himachal Pradesh with about 20 guests, and announced it themselves on Instagram. They have since worked together on Uri and Article 370, which he produced. On 10 May 2024, the couple welcomed a son, Vedavid, born on Akshaya Tritiya, and shared the news on 20 May 2024.
She has also been open about how appearance is treated in film. In October 2021, she shared unretouched photographs and said publicly that she has keratosis pilaris, a common skin condition that causes tiny bumps, which she has lived with since her teens. She wrote that she had decided not to have it concealed in post-production and that she had found the courage to share it. For an actress whose career began with skin-lightening endorsements, it was a notable public turn, and one that sits alongside the roles she has chosen since.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Yami Gautam?
Yami Gautam was born on 28 November 1988. She is 37 years old as of September 2026 and turns 38 on 28 November 2026.
What is Yami Gautam’s next movie?
Her next film is Nayyi Navelli, a fantasy family entertainer directed by Balaji Mohan. It releases in cinemas on 16 October 2026, the day of Dussehra, and she plays Mohini.
Is Nayi Naveli the same as Nayyi Navelli?
Yes. Early reports used the spelling Nayi Naveli. The makers’ official title is Nayyi Navelli.
Who is in the cast of Nayyi Navelli?
Yami Gautam Dhar leads the film as Mohini. The supporting cast includes Addinath M Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vasisth, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Susmita Mukherjee and Prateek Pachori.
Did Yami Gautam win a National Award?
Yes. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Article 370 at the 72nd National Film Awards. It was announced on 18 July 2026 and presented on 22 September 2026. It is her first National Award.
Who is Yami Gautam’s husband?
Her husband is filmmaker Aditya Dhar, who directed Uri: The Surgical Strike and produced Article 370. They married on 4 June 2021.
Does Yami Gautam have a child?
Yes. She and Aditya Dhar have a son, Vedavid, born on 10 May 2024.
What skin condition has Yami Gautam spoken about?
In October 2021, she said publicly that she has keratosis pilaris, a common and harmless skin condition that causes small bumps, usually on the arms and thighs. She said she developed it in her teens and chose not to have it retouched in a photoshoot.
Is Yami Gautam a Malayali?
No. She was born in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and raised in Chandigarh. The question likely comes from her Malayalam film Hero (2012), in which she played the female lead opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran.
What was Yami Gautam’s first film?
Her first film was the Kannada title Ullasa Utsaha (2010). Her first Hindi release was Vicky Donor (2012).
Why is she credited as Yami Gautam Dhar?
She added her husband’s surname after their marriage in June 2021. She uses Yami Gautam Dhar in credits, and Yami Gautam is still the name most audiences search for.