#HowIMadeIt! Yashaswini Dayama: My dad ensured I don't go to the places where one doesn't need to step in

Meet Yashaswini Dayama, who made her debut with a short film 'Phobia' and then went on to play Alia Bhatt's friend in 'Dear Zindagi'. She is our this week's guest on #HowIMadeIt. This 25-year old's journey might not have had a large amount of crests and troughs but then some people quickly knock on the doors of making it even without them. This child of noted actor Ramakant Dayama of 'Chak De India!', 'Shuddh Desi Romance' and 'Brothers' is one such.And just when her knocks became a little sharp, she found herself in the prestigious cast of the web show 'Delhi Crime' which won the 'Best Drama Series' at the 48th International Emmy Awards. Whether Yashaswini is able to maintain her slot in the competitive profession of acting is a story for a later date and even otherwise, you know how every Friday counts a lot in deciding an actor's fate rather unfairly at times.

But guess what! Yashaswini's first splash in the glamour industry happened because her brother, model-actor Prabuddh wanted a specific kurta at an audition he had gone to. "I went to give him the kurta and the casting director asked me if I could act. I said 'no'; I had just been an angel or a tree in my school skits till then. He asked me if I could drive a vehicle; I said 'no' because I really didn't know how to. Yet he insisted that I give a test. And this audition was one of a kind. There was no narrative per se, no lines. The next thing I knew was that I was being considered for 'Phobia' and 'Dear Zindagi'."
Mom was apprehensive about me doing movies
However, Yashaswini's mother was apprehensive whether her daughter should take up the offers. But Papa Ramakant told his daughter to not close the doors and keep auditioning as who knows what finally lands in her lap. And why was Mrs Dayama cagey? Yashaswini reveals, "Well, you know how it is, the perception outside that this industry is not necessarily safe for women. But then, there's so much more to it and you realise that only when you dive into it, the gossip-mongers notwithstanding."

I don't look like a quintessential heroine
Continues Yashaswini, "A pitara opened up after 'Dear Zindagi'. I continued to audition but I wouldn't say too many, perhaps because I fall into a niche category as I don't look like a quintessential heroine." However, the 25-year old, when asked if she's informed when she doesn't get the nod, says, "Not necessarily. Most people who audition you don't tell you if you don't qualify for the final stage. But I think we (actors) don't have to be too attached to the auditions we give, you need to be thick-skinned and realise that there are several other people vying for the same role. Treat auditions as experiences."
Yashaswini says that despite her brother and father being in the industry, they don't talk much about work at home, and then adds, "Dad has never pushed his opinions on me. But yes, he did make sure that I am going to the right places. There are some areas where you need not step in."

Talking about her feelings on the 'Delhi Crime' Emmy victory, Yashaswini says, "It's such a mixed experience. I wish 'Delhi Crime' was just a dark story from someone's mind, nothing like this would have happened in the real world."
Dad said that nothing is greater than my mental sanity
Despite being discussed in the drawing rooms and board rooms for her impressive performance as Chandni in the show based on the gang-rape and murder that happened in Delhi in 2012, Yashaswini says she doesn't have a hardcore plan, in fact doesn't want to have one. After doing 'Dear Zindagi' and web shows like 'Adulting', 'Made in Heaven' and 'Delhi Crime', she had a moment when she felt that she has to continuously keep doing something big so that her career does not spiral downward. A long meeting took place in the living room with her parents and brother, wherein Yashaswini spoke her heart out about the pressures of taking the right decisions. "Dad said that nothing is greater than my mental sanity and if this job is stressing you out, please keep it aside and do something else. He understood my anxiety and I guess he was talking from his experiences; after all, he banked on the acting profession to run our family. So I prefer to keep a skeletal plan if at all." Food for thought.
And guess what! Just the other day, Mrs Dayama told Yashaswini, "I am so proud of where life has taken you and whatever you have achieved so far." Vindication!