Yami Gautam Dhar and Pratik Gandhi get candid about their upcoming movie ‘Dhoom Dhaam’ and more

Pratik:  The characters are interesting and layered. Both Koyal and Veer have just met each other and are on the brink of starting a life together but situations start going helter-skelter from the very first night after the wedding. Normally, what happens in any relationship is that the layers of one’s personality unwrap by and by. But what happens in their lives is a turn of events which makes them see each other’s extreme personalities on their wedding night. A lot of truths which probably wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise hit them together. One can understand through this that there’s so much in the characters’ of the lead pair that people will have fun to watch and enjoy because these guys are in a mess.

I think the script is the best way out. I believe if you have a good script, it will always lead you to the best path. As my process, I keep reading the script again and again, till I am tired and know what is written on that page. That is where my real home-work begins. That is when I start imagining the character, adding things if I need to and seeing her personality even with my eyes shut. Some people are very subtle with expressions and body language, but some people are very flamboyant and extrovert; the way they talk or their hand gestures, will also be in sync with how they are. Similar to planting a seed and seeing it grow, the character is developed through a good script, team, director, writers and co-actors.

Since I’m nowhere close to Koyal I got to imagine someone with a clean slate. I hope this is what brings some freshness to the character which is what eventually the viewers will enjoy. We have seen rom-coms, not that often now; but the whole idea is can you do something different with this genre? Can we still entertain the audience and hold them for two hours without them looking at the phones? Can we have them enjoy the music? We have a wholesome album after a long time. Once you understand the film, you have to fall in love and be passionate about what you are doing. When you think about the character even beyond the set, that means the character is a part of you now.

Pratik: It is very true for the characters. In fact it is true in real life too. I think it happens because our brain and heart works in a way to find something that we don’t have. This is something that only the individual knows and that is why they are attracted to such an individual with personality aspects that are not in them. This is also very true for Veer and Koyal. When they get together as one team, they are complete, otherwise each lack some personality traits that the other has.

Yami: That’s a very valid question, you have to stand –out and you have to be brilliant to stand out. The root of every film is a good script. Rishab again is someone who is very driven and came with a very new energy. He is someone who has attempted comedy but this was different. This is not the regular run-of-the-mill kind of film where there is any set pattern.  We are actually breaking the stereotypes not just in terms of characters but also through the very idea of a film like this. It is the story of one night…simple…same clothes…same two people in every frame…but of course they are different characters. Also, it was a very difficult film to score and Clinton [ Cerejo]  and Bianca [ Gomes] have done a fantastic job and I have been a part of all those sessions to just listen. It is not one of those films where there will be any caricaturish music. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s not the sur of the film.

It was very important for the team to be very true to the film, understand it for what it is and not make something else out of it because someone will say ‘ us tarah ki filmein chalti hain’ . We don’t know ‘ kis tarah ki filmein chalti hain today’ . The more we focus on giving the audience something new, put in hard work and passion, that’s when we can say it is something which we are proud to present to our audience. At the same time gauging its contribution to Indian cinema... One question I always ask my directors is the intent of making the film.  Are we making it because of a trend or because something worked or we want to create something original? I always want to hear original, it is music to my ears. And I think the same goes for Pratik. The kind of filmography he has. Your choices can tell you about that person’s thought process.

Pratik: Valentine’s Day was hardly celebrated when I was in school or high school. And then it slowly took off when I was in college. But I come from an Engineering background and where I have studied, such days were never celebrated. So, I have only seen friends from other colleges celebrate it or seen it in films. But yes, this is one more occasion to celebrate with your loved ones and we Gujarati’s only need an excuse to celebrate. So, all of us, friends used to gather and celebrate.

Yami: I think by the time I reached college, there was something very mushy in the air about Valentine’s Day. Red would be in. I’m from Chandigarh and we would be in peak winters. We would see boys wearing red sweaters preferably with a heart somewhere on it and apparently looking their version of best. I don’t know what they were hoping actually because no one ever approached me. Also, since exams used to be just round the corner, I wanted to sit in my class and study.

I remember once there were just the three of us in class with our teacher and a senior came and said it’s “Valentine’s Maam and they have to leave”. I just turned around and I don’t know from where I had the nerve to tell him “Leave where?”  I had come all the way from home to study and would not leave without my notes. I think that senior also understood what the notes meant to me and left me alone.

Pratik: There was a little bit of Koyal in you.

Yami: I think so. You will have to do a lot of effort to dig out that little bit of Koyal in me. But I think you are right!  

Suddenly a strong sense of emotion, protection and being there for your child awakens. Aditya [ Dhar] and I are both working and trying our best to balance both. And you never stop being a parent so this is where my mother jumps in becoming a parent again. She takes over in Aditya's and my absence and becomes the cool naani that she is. This is also a time when finally after years of hard-work I’m getting the kind of roles I want to play and being part of films, I want to…the kind of faith directors are showing on me. I think somewhere when I was carrying him while shooting Article 370, of course I was anxious and nervous but my mother said, ‘”Yami don’t worry, You are transferring that element of hard-work to him. He will respect his parents and value hard-work.” That is what gives me energy to come to set and fulfill my professional commitments.

Pratik: Watch our film together and then propose!

Yami: There’s a very subtle yet prominent way of saying, I Love You. You Love Me in the movie.  Watch it together, have something nice to eat. For me it’s very important what we are eating while watching a film.

Pratik: I also think they should do something they don’t like. That’s how their true self will come out. And then you think whether you still want to propose.

Dhoom Dhaam starts streaming on Netflix from February 14, 2025