Chowdhury’s emotional thriller tackles the subject of media integrity, with Gautam playing a crime reporter. For the actor, it was an all-consuming project. “If we are talking about media integrity in today’s times, it must feel authentic. The characters have to feel familiar. Tonyda [Chowdhury] gives the freedom to be as natural as possible. It makes me proud to be part of a film that stands for certain values. In a fast-paced world driven by competition, emotions don’t hold the same value. Lost and A Thursday are two films that have made me discover a lot about myself.”

Films aside, her unafraid attitude reflects in her social media posts too. Recently, she opened up on battling keratosis pilaris, a condition that leaves the skin patchy and with small bumps. Having been the poster girl for glowing skin for over a decade, Gautam’s post was a reminder to be real at a time when the beauty industry propagates perfection. “Writing the post wasn’t difficult; it was liberating. The journey from the time when I learnt of my condition to the day I put the post out, was challenging. When people saw me at shoot, they would talk about how it should be airbrushed or concealed. That would affect me a lot. It took years to accept it and wear my confidence. I was overwhelmed to see the response to the post.”