Yami Gautam Dhar is stepping away from the controlled screen persona she says she usually carries. In the upcoming fantasy family entertainer Nayyi Navelli, she plays Mohini, a newly married woman whose entry into a Meerut household sets off a familiar Hindi-film tension: the new bride seems a little too perfect, and her brother-in-law begins to suspect she may be a daayan.
What the film is promising
Directed by Balaji Mohan, Nayyi Navelli is backed by Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow Productions and opens in theatres on October 16. The plot mixes family dynamics, fantasy and comedy. Mohini’s arrival first brings peace and harmony to the household, then starts to unsettle it as questions form around her. Adinath Kothare, Mita Vashisht, Sonal Jha and Sunita Rajwar round out the cast.
A more spontaneous register for Yami Gautam
In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, Gautam said the role unlocked something different from her usual preparation. She pointed to “much more comedy, mischief and physicality in Mohini,” and added that the part let her “let go of some of that control.” That is the central line for readers who track her filmography: a performer known for contained choices describing a deliberately less controlled approach.
The comedy, she said, came from trusting instinct instead of overthinking. Several moments in the film, as she tells it, depend on unexpected reactions rather than carefully planned expressions. The result, she hopes, is a more carefree and uninhibited side for audiences to discover.
Gautam’s description of Mohini as having an instinctive sense of humour suggests the performance relies on that looser instinct. She adds that the funniest moments came from trusting the impulse rather than planning the joke. It is a signal about why this project stands out in her upcoming slate.
Where the playfulness comes from
Gautam also credited two collaborators for the film’s lighter energy. Composer G V Prakash Kumar’s music has what she called a playful, infectious quality, and choreographer Vijay Ganguly’s work translated that into dance sequences. The dancing, she said, allowed her to “let loose and really enjoy” the part — another small departure from the discipline she describes in her acting.
Why a daayan twist matters
A bride who may be a witch has long been useful material for Hindi cinema: it turns a household’s normal suspicions into comic or supernatural stakes. Here the film is being positioned as a family entertainer rather than a horror piece, so the suspicion becomes the engine for physical comedy and mischief. For an audience that follows Bollywood’s evolving star images, it is notable that Gautam is using a genre-mixed project to test a looser, more spontaneous gear.
- Release date: October 16 in theatres.
- Director: Balaji Mohan.
- Backers: Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow Productions.
- Key cast: Yami Gautam Dhar, Adinath Kothare, Mita Vashisht, Sonal Jha and Sunita Rajwar.
The film’s success will depend on whether that lighter energy connects. For now, the headline is simpler: one of Hindi cinema’s more watchful performers is trying to not overthink a role, and audiences get to see the result this week.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
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