She may seem to be all about mascara and manicures. But the exotic Jacqueline Fernandez, is in fact, a tough-as-nails beauty. No wonder, the girl from Sri Lanka left her languid shoreline to make a fortune on the island of skyscrapers. And she did it all alone. The heartbreaks, the pitfalls, the mistakes were all hers. And they sculpted her. Glamour she had in dollops. But the grunge lent gravitas to her character. Today, she’s not only a scorcher on the red carpet but also the pride of big-ticket releases. Kick may have kickstarted her rise to fame. But the recent Brothers has further established her kinship with showbiz. Right now, mixing work with pleasure, Jacqueline has agreed for an interview in a swish beauty boutique as she spruces up for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 3. As her princess-like feet sink in the foam, she spills the beans on her survival tricks, link-ups and how she means ‘business’ at the end of the day…
How often do you visit a beauty salon?
(Laughs) Once or twice a day … hey just joking! We have hectic schedules, so it’s not possible to find time easily. But today I spent four hours here because I won’t be able to do so for the next two months. I’m getting ready for the shoot of Housefull 3.
How else are you preparing for Housefull 3?
Housefull 3, being a comedy, is all about timing. It’s about glamour as well. We worked with our stylist Tanya Ghavri extensively to get the look right. We do have the script with us. But directors Sajid-Farhad will improvise a lot on the set. I was part of Housefull 2 and I know everything changes on the set.Because we actors come together and make things funnier. So right now, it’s only about the look.
Do you find comedy a difficult genre?
Comedy is difficult. You can be a funny person but it’s not easy to be so in front of the camera. That’s why I admire Akshay Kumar. His comic timing is so good. He is the king of comedy. The amazing thing about Akshay is that he’s funny both on camera and off it. It’s great that he can translate his real-life humorous self on reel. His sense of humour rubs off on you as well.
Akshay is known to be a prankster. Did he pull a fast one on you?
He’s not a prankster. He’s just a funny person. He’s fun. He will make you laugh. He hasn’t played pranks on me. Either he’ll make you say something funny or he’ll make everyone play a game and then cheat a bit. His pranks are in good humour and are not meant to harm. I’ve just been lucky because I’ve usually been in his team when it comes to pranks. We team up together. I’m always on the safe side. He’s like, ‘Yay! I have a partner in crime’. Thank God he’s not done anything drastic to me.
Was Akshay different on the set of Brothers and Housefull 3?
There’s a bit of a difference. On the set of Housefull 3, he’s like what he’s in real life. He’s chilled and cracks jokes. But on the set of Brothers he was toned down. Like during shooting the serious scenes where our daughter is in hospital or during the tension-filled scenes at home he was serious. He enjoyed a lot more when he was doing the fight scenes, where he was in the ring for 50 days. That was the entire second half. On the set of Housefull 3, it’s like a picnic. Since he’s been doing serious films of late, Housefull 3 is a relief to him. He was saying, ‘Oh God! I can’t wait for Housefull 3.’ I’ll be working with Ritiesh (Deshmukh) again. Lisa (Haydon) is a friend. I don’t know Nargis (Fakhri) well but she’s supposed to be cool. I’ll be working with Abhishek (Bachchan) for the first time. So that should be interesting.
You’re not part of Kick 2. Did that upset you?
I was not aware that Kick 2 was being made. So it was news to me when Salman (Khan) announced it on the stage of an award function. And I was in the audience. I’m pretty sure there must have been no scope of continuing my character. They would probably need a fresh face. For me, Kick was the biggest movie of my career. It changed my life. It’s sad that I won’t be in Kick 2. But hopefully, I will be able to do a special appearance or an item number in Kick 2.
Coming to you, did you always get attention for your looks?
My sister Geraldine, who’s four years older, is the pretty one. Whenever people saw her they’d exclaim, ‘Oh my God! Your sister’s so pretty.’ I was more attached to my brothers Warren and Ryan. I’d be playing football with them or hanging out with them. I was more of a tomboy. My sister was busy doing her girlie things. So there was no question of my ever thinking that I was pretty. But I was confident about the fact that I had good energy. That meant more to me.
So when did you start doing these girly things?
I was kind of forced to get interested in such things. I did enjoy fashion. I was aware about beauty and nutrition fundamentals. I loved fashion magazines but when it actually came to practising all that, I wasn’t bothered. It took me a while before I began painting my nails. A lot of girls start way before their age. As I grew older I realised that doing these girly things can be fun. It’s nice to groom yourself. It’s relaxing and therapeutic. And it’s ‘me’ time. It’s not often that we get that ‘me’ time. (Laughs) So you’re actually impinging on my ‘me’ time now.
Do you get upset when someone intrudes in that ‘me’ time?
Not really. Honestly, when I entered this profession, I knew I’d have to sacrifice a lot of things. Yes, there would be cameras, your privacy would be compromised, people would ask all sorts of questions, they would be curious about your life… But if you make peace with that then it becomes easier. If you resist it and fight it, it will only become difficult. It will be a battle, which you will never win. So if I get ‘me’ time, it’s amazing. If I don’t, it’s fine. This is a game of give and take. You win some, you lose some.
Okay, what makes you angry?
People who are cruel to animals. People who have a fanatical mindset. People who are judgmental. Such an attitude creates negativity in the world.
Did you ever come across an indecent proposal during your early days?
There have been no such incidents where I’ve felt violated or where I’ve been asked to compromise. There may have been a situation where I may have felt this is dodgy and I don’t want to be in this meeting anymore. That was the extent of it. I’m aware it’s an extremely competitive and difficult world out there. Many girls become vulnerable and are taken advantage of. I didn’t have my family here; I didn’t have friends or even someone remotely guiding me. I just had an agency. I’d attend the meetings alone. I remember when I landed at the Mumbai airport, I saw so many cabbies and all of them were shouting, ‘Madam, madam!’ I wonder how I survived through all that. But I guess, I’ve been lucky because I have never faced anything like that. But my advice to girls would be to make sure that you have someone with you all the time. It’s important because even if you do happen to compromise, you may not get work.
How do you avoid unwanted male attention being such a beautiful girl?
It’s easy for me. If I’m not interested in a guy, somehow he becomes aware of it. And even if I am interested in a guy, I’d never give him false hopes. It’s funny that men actually do not hit on me or give me that kind of attention. It’s not that I am rude. But I do give a different vibe. (Laughs) I’d probably kick if I have to. It has never come to that situation but I do know where to kick. I would kick there!
The stress of showbiz often leads youngsters to resort to drugs. Do you agree?
You’ve got to love your job so much that these things cease to come in the way. Late nights, alcohol, drugs… will take you further away from your career. For many it’s an escape, an excuse because they can’t handle the hard work they have to put in to make it here. They want excuses to say that ‘we didn’t fail, we went into something else’. This is a difficult business and there are so many times when you want to give up. But if you want to make it big, you should never give up - no matter how many times you fall, because fall you will. You’ve got to keep going and that alone will make you successful.
Do men also have to compromise to get work in the industry?
Yes, of course! See fame, stardom, money, success… if you want these, then it doesn’t matter whether you are a girl or a guy. If the bug has bitten you then you go for it. And it (casting couch) surely is there for boys too.
How did you deal with the lows?
I’m a person who likes to deal with things on my own. I need my space to sort it. It’s only when don’t get that space, you start going mental. Also, the people you surround yourself with are important. Be with those who love you and care about you. Even your team matters. Your make-up and hair persons are with you day and night. They understand when things are not right. If they don’t genuinely care about you, things can get even more difficult. Sharing it with someone who cares helps because they give you a different perspective.
Do you miss not having your family in Mumbai?
I do miss them. I ask them to come down and see me. But it’s a good thing that they are not here. I wouldn’t be able to spend time with them as I’m always working. I can even start taking them for granted. Now I don’t. When I go home, I spend time with them. I’m in touch with them more than before. When
I was teenager and living with them, it was terrible. Today, I value them.
Do you see yourself living in Mumbai forever?
I can’t say anything because I never saw myself coming to India in the first place. But I landed here, call it fate or destiny. But I’ll always have a strong affiliation with India. A part of me will always be here – whether I act or do business. India has become home.
Are we going to see you as businesswoman soon?
I think so… honestly I’m interested in business. I don’t know about movie making. I have a restaurant Kaema Sutra back home (Colombo), where Kaema means food and sutra means art. I want to launch my restaurant chain here. I’m waiting because my restaurant is only a year old. (Laughs) I want to change the name; I’m stuck badly with it now (it sounds like Kamasutra)! It serves authentic Sri Lankan food. Also, fitness, nutrition and resorts interests me. I want to invest in these fields.
Are you dating Arjun Kapoor?
(Laughs) Oh my God! I was just talking to him today. I told him ‘you started it’. And he said, ‘you started it’. He said you gave a comment on it. I said I’ve not uttered anything at all. I’m not dating him. Arjun has been my one of earliest friends along with Sonam (Kapoor). I didn’t know Varun (Dhawan), Ranbir (Kapoor), Ranveer (Singh)… anyone then. After Sonam became my friend I started hanging out with everyone. Arjun being Sonam’s cousin, we’ve grown to be good friends. It’s just now that people have begun to see a lot there. He’s an intelligent, hard working guy. We respect each other’s friendship. It’s funny how we got linked up. Guess, we don’t have a choice. But it’s entertaining.