Moving to India was a challenge: Jacqueline Fernandez

For Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez, moving to India to have a career in Bollywood was a challenge.

The 30-year-old actor, who made her debut with Aladin opposite Riteish Deshmukh and Amitabh Bachchan, said the Hindi film industry has always been supportive of her.

“Moving to India was challenging being a foreigner. I don’t have any family here. I didn’t have anyone to guide me. But I never felt for a second that I am not welcome here. <g data-gr-id="26">Industry</g> has been very good to me. I am glad that destiny brought me here,” she told reporters here. The Kick actor came to India for the first time on a modelling assignment and she got the offer to star in the Sujoy Ghosh-directed 2009 fantasy drama. Jacqueline credited modelling industry to help her understand Bollywood well.

“Modelling industry was a good training ground. It is a medium that is about shedding your inhibitions, knowing your body, confidence and that are also the few characteristics which an actor requires. It definitely was a good starting point and a platform,” she said. Known for her glamorous avatar, Jacqueline in her upcoming outing Brothers will be seen playing a mother.

Asked if she had any inhibitions about playing a mother at such an early stage of her career, Jacqueline said, “I didn’t have any apprehension about playing the role of a mother. I don’t know why female actors have <g data-gr-id="25">apprehension</g> to play a mother especially when we have mothers of all ages in our world and society.”