Wife Yami Gautam opens up about Dhurandhar director Aditya Dhar’s creative process: ‘I’ve never seen him lose his cool…’

IT’s been a watershed yr for filmmaker Aditya Dhar. His a la mode(p) take, Dhurandhar, has tattered box office records, crossing ₹900 crore within just 19 days of release and cementing his position as one of the most successful directors of 2025. But before Dhurandhar, there was Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) — the film that changed everything for him. It was on that set that he met the woman who would later become his wife — actor Yami Gautam.In a new conversation with Humans of Bombay, Yami looked back at how her relationship with Aditya began and the moment they decided to get married. The couple tied the knot in 2021 in an intimate ceremony in the hills and are now parents to a baby boy, completing four years together. “As an artiste who has worked with him…”Recalling her first impressions of Aditya, Yami said, “Aditya and I are extremely similar when it comes to work. We love to work and we just come back to a regular family at home. We were never like, ‘We need to go out, it is necessary.’ I obviously met him while working on Uri, but it was during the promotion of the film when we ‘talked-talked’ because it was five of us promoting the film and each question would be passed on to everybody. You are listening to all questions and answers and then there is suddenly one similar answer, you match the wavelength.”She also praised her husband’s temperament on set. “I have to say this not just as a wife but as an artiste who has worked with him, he is one of the most respected directors. And you can ask anybody from any of his films, the way he commands—not demands—commands respect is phenomenal,” she shared. “We just knew we wanted to get married…”Talking about how their bond evolved, Yami said, “During promotions, we started talking and became friends. There was no ‘I am going to propose to you’ kind of moment, no filmy things — which was the best thing because I am not that kind of person. We just knew we wanted to get married. Our families were extremely aligned and they were really happy for us.”Their wedding, held during the COVID-19 pandemic, was kept private and minimal — something Yami says they would have done regardless. “I think we would have got married the way we did even if there was no COVID. For me, to have nature’s blessings in the hills meant everything. We wanted to make it more about the rituals than anything else. We love our culture and Hindu traditions, which are beautiful. I wanted to follow the rituals and look exactly the way I did at my wedding. My mom’s saree was always there for me. I did my own makeup and hair. I wanted to look exactly like my mom from the time she got married. There is nothing I would change about that moment.”“My first instinct about Aditya was that he’s a very nice man…”Speaking about Aditya’s gentle nature, Yami shared an anecdote that reflects his kindness. “Aditya was given the crown of green forest. I strongly believe your first instinct about anyone is always going to be correct. And my first instinct about Aditya was that he is a very nice man. Everybody was talking nice things about him—my makeup artist, hair person, all of them,” she said.Recalling one moment from the Uri shoot, she added, “He saw my makeup person sitting on the floor and eating her working lunch. He immediately offered his chair to her. No one even thinks of something like this.”Yami's view on DhurandharAs Dhurandhar continues to dominate the box office, Yami also reflected on the project co-produced by her husband’s banner, B62 Studios. “There is no closing thought on Dhurandhar. It is not your parting-away gift of 2025; it is your welcome gift of 2026. And I believe it won’t just be the film of the year, but the film of many, many years to come,” she said. As for now, Dhurandhar is all set to hit OTT platforms in January of next year, while the sequel to Dhar's spy thriller should be out on 19th March 2026, according to multiple reports.