As Karan Johar calls himself Yami Gautam’s ‘fan for life’, her old clip choking up over feeling unwelcome in Bollywood resurfaces: ‘A look is enough’

Kara Johar praised Yami Gautam's performance in Haq. (Pic: Karan, Yami/Instagram)

After Alia Bhatt fangirling over Yami Gautam’s performance in Haq, the actor’s close friend and producer-director Karan Johar has also taken to social media to shower praise on Yami. Amid all the chatter around Bollywood A-listers lauding Yami’s performance, an old video of the actor has also resurfaced, in which she speaks about being made to feel like she wasn’t a part of the industry by some people.

Taking to social media, Karan praised Haq, which recently released on Netflix after its theatrical run. He wrote, “HAQ…. The Shazia Bano story and victory moved me to a puddle of tears… I was speechless at the end and then clapped loudly for the film and lamented that i missed the opportunity of watching this exceptionally empowering film in the cinema…”

Calling Yami brilliant and admitting that he was deeply moved by her performance, he added, “I don’t think I have been this moved by a performance in many many years… to say that @yamigautam is Brilliant, outstanding , Pathbreaking is still not saying enough…. Her silences, her stares , her last monologue and her stance throughout the film is a master class of craft and conviction …. Salute and Salaam to her!”

He further wrote, ” @suparnverma directs the film with such an assured hand… never letting theatrics overpower the emotion and always making the strength of the characters shine with strong silences …he has directed a Brilliant film…. @therealemraan is his career best … he is so convincing and he portrays the insensitive and entitled husband like a bonafide veteran … you hate him and therefore you absolutely Love his performance … kudos to @jungleepictures … Vineet and Amrita .. @vineetjain12 for producing this brave and important motion picture! #harmanbaweja.:. Big applause to @reshunath for writing a solid and poignant film with such strength of narrative …. Yami…. Am a fan for life! ❤️🙏 #haq on @netflix_in”

An old interview of Yami with Bharadwaj Rangan is currently going viral. In the clip, the actor is seen getting emotional as she opens up about how she was made to feel like an outsider by some people in the film industry. She said, “There have been times when you felt unwelcomed, when you felt you are not a part of this. And no one has to tell you this, that one look is enough, you can read it that you know you are not there yet, but then I think my family… It’s a very emotional thing for me not because of the journey, but because I feel very blessed to have the family that I have.”

When #YamiGautam spoke about her struggle for acceptance in Bollywood — despite delivering one solid performance after another — it hit hard.

That brief choke in her voice said what words couldn’t. The pain of being overlooked. The exhaustion of having to prove yourself again… pic.twitter.com/eTYDhH3qQg

— BollyGupp (@BollyGup) January 11, 2026

Sharing how her husband and Dhurandhar director Aditya Dhar helped her through that phase, she added, “I think if they were not there, then it would have been difficult. One phone call to my mom, sister or Aditya… and we both share the same value system. If I am not social, he’s not social on another level, they say what you are seeking out there and you get it and for me that is Aditya.”

Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar are currently among the most talked-about couples in Bollywood. While Yami is being widely praised for her portrayal in Haq, which is inspired by the landmark Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano Begum case, Aditya Dhar is enjoying the massive success of his second directorial Dhurandhar, which has emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time.