Few actresses in the recent past have had the opportunity to make their debut in a film that stars both Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. Throw in Riteish Deshmukh into the equation.
Jacqueline Fernandez has made her dream debut in one of 2009’s highly-anticipated fantasy film, Sujoy Ghosh’s Aladin.
Born in 1985, Fernandez, who is from Sri Lanka, did her schooling from Bahrain where she excelled in athletics and drama.
In 2006, she was Sri Lanka’s entry for Miss Universe and later became the host of a television programme titled Lanka Business Report.
Working in Mumbai is a new experience.
It’s a very cool city with a great work environment. Yes, this is not my hometown and I’m leading a new life. But I’m not complaining. Living by myself is something I’m getting used to.
You start your career with a fantasy fiction but what roles will you accept in the future?
Frankly, I’m not a niche actor. I’m game for comedy, romance... even a dark role. Being an actor is a cool profession as it allows me to play many things. I don’t want to say no to any good role.
How do you keep yourself composed during the release of a new film, especially your first one?
It’s the only thing that’s going through my head. I woke up at 5am only to be hit by this thought. This is something exciting and a nerve-wracking profession. I went to audition for the film and the next thing I knew, I was in the film. Aladin has an amazing cast... it stars the people I love.
Working around a classic like Aladin...
That’s always a challenge. The film is very different from, say, a Walt Disney film. Here is a boy and a girl whose wishes are coming true. It was difficult to work on a film high on 3D as we had to leave a lot to our imagination. We had a lavish set but then there were those green and blue screens. The good thing about the film was that I didn’t have to live up to anybody’s expectation.
Working with Riteish Deshmukh.
He’s an amazingly good actor... down to earth and cooperative. As I’m new to the Hindi film industry, he’s helping me to shape up. We are hoping to work together in another film.
