Mumbai | Winning the National Film Award has been a "true validation" and comes as an added responsibility to make better and more diverse choices, says actor Yami Gautam.
The actor, who won the award for best actress for her role in "Article 370" last month, is playing a mysterious new bride with superpowers in the upcoming horror-comedy "Nayyi Navelli".
"National Film Award is a really big honour. I think it's a very true validation for any artist across all languages, all formats that you can receive in our country and I take it with all humility. I'll be lying if I say, no, nothing's changed.
"There's an added responsibility in me as an artist, as an actor who'll always try to be even more diverse, work harder and try and win and earn this love and respect that you all bestowed upon me and showered on someone like me who comes from a small town. I still feel there is a long way to go. There is so much for me to learn," Gautam told reporters here at the trailer launch of the film on Wednesday evening. Directed by Balaji Mohan, the family entertainer revolves around a picture-perfect bride transforms a chaotic Meerut household into paradise, only for her brother-in-law to suspect that she may actually be a 'daayan' (witch).
Asked if the National Award has prompted her to aspire to global honours such as an Oscar, Gautam said she never makes her dreams public.
"Only you should know your dreams. I don't speak much. I believe in my work. When your work is your word and your expression then you don't need to say anything," she said.
The actor said her success will not come at the cost of humility.
"I'm still grounded. One thing I've learned in life is that success will come and go, your humility is in your hand." The story of "Nayi Navelli" has been written by Himanshu Sharma and Divya Nidhi Sharma. Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma are the producers.
Asked about collaborating with artists from the southern film industry, Rai said he always felt that the industry should not be divided like "this is South, this is North, Bollywood, Tollywood".
Actors, makers and technicians are there. We are all Indian and we should work with each other," he said.
"When Himanshu and Divya Nidhi were completing this script, we needed a strong director for this story who will understand the nuances and deliver it," he said.
The film also features Addinath M Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vasisth, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Susmita Mukherjee and Prateek Pachori in pivotal roles. The music is composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar.
Produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow, "Nayyi Navelli" is slated to release in theatres on October 16.
