Bandish Bandits actor Yashaswini Dayama on being in the limelight: ‘Really don’t have a grasp over how recognisable I am’

Q. From Made in Heaven to Bandish Bandits, how has your journey been?

Yashaswini Dayama: It has been great. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m supremely grateful.

Q. How did you bag your first project? How was the first day on set?

Yashaswini Dayama: My first project was an advertisement. I was an absurd combination of nervous and confident. I didn’t know how repetitive acting can be. It was draining, but I felt so good after it all.

Q. You’ve been a part of the industry for about nine years. Is this what you always wanted to do?

Yashaswini Dayama: I hoped and dreamed of becoming a singer. The backup plan was to become an archaeologist or something history-related because I loved playing “Indians Jones” growing up.

 

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Q. Your father, Ramakant Dayma, is well-known in the film and TV. Was your childhood spent around cameras, celebrities, and on sets?

Yashaswini Dayama: Not really. I don’t think I’ve ever visited a set dad was on, but I remember always feeling starstruck about his work. I waited for the day he would tell me, ‘I’m shooting with Hrithik Roshan; come to the set,’ but that day hasn’t come yet. Soon, hopefully.

Q. You have worked with Shefali Shah, Alia Bhatt, and others. How was the experience and what were the learnings?

Yashaswini Dayama: I discovered a whole new perspective on this world and the industry with every new project I went into. With Alia (among many other things), I got this sneak peek of what it takes to become the ‘heroine’. With Shefali ma’am came the learning of how contrasting emotions can be so compatible and how not to take yourself so seriously just because the emotion requires you to be. But majorly, I learnt that there is no right way to go about it; it’s always whatever works for you, whatever gets it out of you.

Q. Which film/show have you enjoyed working on the most, and why?

Yashaswini Dayama: I made some very close friendships on some of these sets; I cannot pick one. Adulting was always fun with Aisha (Ahmed). Bandish Bandits is most fresh in my mind, though.

 

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Q. You started young and soon became a recognisable face. Did being in the limelight ever feel overwhelming/affect your mental health?

Yashaswini Dayama: I really don’t have a grasp over how recognisable I am. It’s been great so far, some things can bog you down though. I find it a little overwhelming to enter overly-crowded spaces now, simply because I just feel too self-aware. Other than that, nothing major yet, thankfully.

Q. Were your parents supportive of your decision to join the entertainment industry?

Yashaswini Dayama: Parents have been great about it all. Dad, having seen so much from the inside, did his part in mentally preparing me once it was clear I was headed in this direction. Mom took her time to understand and get comfortable and now both are super proud.

Q. What is the one thing you have learnt early on in your professional life?

Yashaswini Dayama: I learnt not to take myself too seriously. I felt like there was this responsibility to make only the right choices since I had had such good luck in terms of the kind of projects I got attached to. But that kept me in my head a lot. I just want to enjoy the journey, I’m happy to discover where it takes me.

 

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Q. Tell us about the singer in you.

Yashaswini Dayama: I have been singing ever since I can remember. I lost touch with it, and with acting going so well, I somehow couldn’t wrap my head around starting from scratch at something else. Bandish Bandits has been a catalyst that way––I found my way back to my voice after being surrounded by good music.

Q. You are active on social media. How important is the platform for you, personally and professionally? How do you deal with the negatives that it comes along with?

Yashaswini Dayama: If I could keep my social media just as an extension of me, I would. But it’s become a lot more now, and I can’t complain because I did sign up for it. I appreciate it for its positive potential, I fear it for its worst. I try to keep it as real as possible and stay away from all the noise.

Q. What is your New Year’s resolution?

Yashaswini Dayama: It is pretty much the same every year––I just want to have a good time, grow and nurture myself and the people I care about. And travel a lot, more than the previous year, at least.