Sugar and Spice

Text and Styling by Shirin Salwan. Photographs by Rohan Srestha

Bubbly and chirpy one minute, serious and pragmatic the other, Jacqueline Fernandez will charm you with her warmth and vivacity. The former Sri Lankan beauty queen has come a long way since her Bollywood debut

#soliloquy-container-1959{opacity:1}#soliloquy-container-1959 li > .soliloquy-caption{display:none}#soliloquy-container-1959 li:first-child > .soliloquy-caption{display:block} Jacqueline Fernandez for Verve April 2014

Jacqueline Fernandez for Verve April 2014

There’s something about Jacqueline Fernandez that instantly draws you to her. She is not just another pretty face. there’s more to her than what meets the eye, and you are compelled to find out. a conversation with her is like a tete-e-tete with a friend; she’s candid and doesn’t hold back. She talks with child-like innocence. a barrage of jokes and spontaneous laughter follows minutes after she walks into the studio. We chat easily as she talks about her journey so far…

I mirror people a lot. I adapt to people around me. I think I am a combination of seven personalities!

It’s all about making the most of your life. It often drives me crazy because I feel as if there’s so much to do and I know it isn’t impossible to do it. It is important
to set your goals and focus on how to achieve them without getting distracted, yet knowing how to strike that balance.

I’ve never really chalked out a life plan. India was never planned for and I just found myself in the middle of everything. I came here to do modelling but ended up getting a movie, and now it is a huge part of my life being someone from the indian film industry. I feel that even if I try and plan the next five years of my life, it’s never certain. Maybe I’ll be married, maybe I’ll still be an actress or I could be in another country altogether. SoI take whatever comes my way and make the most of it!

The support from back home is overwhelming. It’s a good feeling to know there are so many people expecting so much from you and yet are also always there to fall back on.

I love travelling solo. Being in our industry you need to have some time to yourself as it can get a bit too hectic at times.

Exploring the Amazon was the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done. Moving through the dense jungles at night, we spotted crocodiles, anacondas and all kinds of creatures. The whole experience was such an adventure!

The best part about being an actress is that every day you can be something different. The creative freedom you can exercise by morphing into the character and even adding to it is amazing. And the fact that there’s a whole team contributing to it be it the script or the costumes, it’s all a team effort. you’re a gypsy; you don’t know what tomorrow brings.

I’m not fazed by the criticism and constant judging. There are all kinds of people in this world and they vent out their frustration on other people. Everyone is waiting to pull you down which does not make it easy. But you also have to understand that you are human and it’s OK to make mistakes. There’s this saying from the Bible that stuck to me since I was a kid – ‘He without sin can cast the first stone.’ Basically it’s easier to judge, but most people forget that they’re not perfect themselves.

I believe in classics. When I buy a piece of jewellery or an outfit, I look at it from a point of view that even a few years down the line, it should be in fashion and still be of value.

I love experimenting with fashion. I believe in dressing up uniquely and having my own style statement. I’m not saying be outrageous, just out of the box. You can never get it right all the time but I enjoy taking a risk. It is very important to understand who you are and just be yourself when it comes to style.

There is always pressure to look a certain way in our industry. Everyone is cloning the other. I’d rather highlight my strong features and still look amazing. But on the other hand I feel that if something is really troubling you about yourself and you have the ability and power to change it, then do it if that is what makes you happy. after all you have but one life. When I first came here there were a dozen opinions. People told me to change my nose or lips or a certain part of my body; there is constant criticism if you don’t look a certain stereotypical way.

I am grounded. It is really important to snap out and gain control of your life. You need to have that strength to practically analyse and draw the line. And most importantly you must always be surrounded by the right people. This is where you need your family and friends so you can get an unbiased opinion about things. Your thoughts become your worst enemy so it is extremely important to stay positive at all times.

She vivacious and fun! Go behind the scenes of our candy floss cover shoot with Jacqueline to watch her in action.