Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 16, 2021)

Actor Yashaswini Dayama never expected Delhi Crime to receive so much love and win laurels at the International Emmys. “We never thought this would blow up so much. We’re grateful. Otherwise, I feel a bit of a moral dilemma in finding joy out of somebody’s trauma,” she confesses.

Stressing how the democracy brought in by the web changed the scenario, she says, “I love the OTT system. Talented actors who weren’t getting opportunities earlier now have the scope to shine. Also, thankfully, I’m now spoken about in a respectable manner because of the projects I’ve done.”

“The big screen isn’t the ultimate goal anymore. You could be a Pratik Gandhi [of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story fame] and take over the entire country with a web show... Having said that, 70 mm charm is unmatchable. I also want to do commercial Bollywood films,” adds Dayama, whose projects include films Dear Zindagi and Phobia (both released in 2016), and web shows Adulting and Made in Heaven.

The 26-year-old is thankful to her father, actor Ramakant Dayama, for being her guiding light. “He helps in a very specific way and never forces his decisions on me. In this industry, having a guidance helps and you don’t have to worry about getting exploited…,” she says.

Reacting to nepotism allegations, she responds, “To make it clear, they recognise me as Ramakant’s daughter, but no one is throwing roles at me… I had posted a photo with my father, and these people started saying, ‘Oh! Your dad is an actor, nepotism’. Tumko iss word ka matlab bhi pata hai?”