Yami Gautam's bright, beautiful life

Everything in Yami Gautam's life is about looking at the brighter side, about seeking a balance-from her approach to physical fitness to her personal sense of style and taste in food, to even, how she handles success and failure.

The actor with the luminous smile and the lustrous locks, emerged as the toast of Bollywood with her debut Hindi film (Vicky Donor), but her second film (Total Siyappa) tanked. She is hugely popular on social media with over 5.9 million Facebook likes and counting, but also trending as the butt of 'fairness' jokes on Twitter. The young star laughs off the bouquets and the brickbats. "All of us love success but failure is a learning experience, you realise nothing can be taken for granted, that all you can do is keep working hard. The Twitter jokes are a part and parcel of life as a celebrity. And they are funny," she grins.

Right now, Yami is probably in the best shape ever, toned yet teasingly curvy. And a recent shoot for a mens' magazine proved she can use those limpid eyes and that lithe frame to both demure and devastating effect. So how did Yami achieve this? Again, by balancing out her indulgences with intense workouts- by mixing up everything from traditional yoga to its trendier avatar hot yoga, to simple cardio like running to hardcore TRX workouts. "I am super focussed on my fitness routine, work out specific body parts like my arms and the abdominals. Because I really don't want to suck in my stomach at glitzy events," is how she disarmingly describes her motivation. And did we mention that while she determinedly eats healthy, she has an almost hedonistic love of pizza and Indian sweets? "I love kaju barfi," she says ruefully.

LESSONS LEARNT YOUNG
Bollywood may have discovered Yami as Aashima Roy in Vicky Donor (she won the Best Female Debutante at IIFA last July), but she is no acting novice. Rather, the Chandigarh-bred, Himachal-born 25-year-old is a seasoned television star and model who has done films in Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Right now, she is wrapping up Prabhu Deva's Action Jackson and there are other films in production too. The constant pressure of being in the public eye is tough, she admits. "There are no excuses. It doesn't matter if you've not slept, if you're tired or hungry, you have to stay calm and look good," she says candidly. Her way of dealing with this is to prioritise fitness. "When I'm away from Mumbai and don't have my trainer, I go for a run. And I stick to lean meats, veggies and salads," she explains.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAME
The ups and downs of life as a film star, the grit it takes to maintain the glamour, all that takes a toll. But confidence in her own abilities and a positive outlook have helped her survive and succeed. "As long as you have loved ones around you, as long as you stay level-headed and balanced, it always works out," she says. Not surprisingly, her closest friends are her school mates from Chandigarh. "In the beginning, my mom or naani would accompany me. Now I just have my team so I miss my family terribly," she says. In the film industry, she says, you have co-workers and colleagues, not friends. "Work is priority. You hang out with your co-stars, but in the end, we all have our own worlds and lives," she states.

Yami loves the cuisine from her home state of Himachal. Her fav "pahari khana", she says, is Chamba ka rajma, (a concoction of ghee, cashews, almonds, grated coconut and other dry fruits, and rajma). But her regular diet is a healthy one and she begins her day with a glass of lime and honey.

BREAKFAST
"Sprouts or a salad with mixed veggies and lentils, or healthy sandwiches with a fruit juice or a veg smoothie. I snack on seasonal fruits."
LUNCH "Rotis, veggies, lentils and veg raita or rotis with grilled fish (like salmon) or rotis with grilled chicken. At tea time, I have a cup of cardamom tea." SNACKS "Bhel (puffed rice with peanuts, mint chutney) or homemade poha or dried fruits."
DINNER "I eat an early dinner: it comprises either grilled chicken or fish. If I am at a shoot, later, I have a cup of lemon or green tea. I have Vitamin B and fish oil capsules regularly."

Being Beautiful
Natural is everything for Yami. "I have extremely sensitive skin so I don't get facials. I make my own exfoliator with besan (or fine rice flour) and curd or milk. I also use fresh aloe vera gel from my aloe plant at home", says this actor with glowing skin. For luscious hair, she swears by head massages and an occasional DIY egg white and olive oil hair mask. The actor's regular yoga practice also shows on her skin. Yami has always been into yoga and meditation and practises hot yoga for 90 minutes every alternate day when she is in Mumbai. On other days, she alternates between swimming and other forms of cardio, and TRX training to strengthen her core.

HAPPINESS SHOWS
"Feel beautiful to be beautiful. When I am happy, I know I look my best," she says. This optimist loves colour. "I am such a cliche-I love pinks, reds, magenta, peach, yellow, mint- positive, chirpy shades," she laughs. If she does opt for blacks or greys, she pairs them with brighter shades! When it comes to fashion, she prefers dresses and a simple jeans-and-tee. Right now, Yami is in a good space. "The film industry is going through an exciting, experimental phase. And I want to work in everything from commercial blockbusters, to love stories, romcoms, period films, thrillers, and even, costume dramas. I am open to everything." Open to new films and open to new experiences- that is why Yami Gautam has a beautiful life.