Jacqueline Fernandez can finally count herself among the Bollywood glitterati.
Currently in Abu Dhabi to shoot high-adrenalin action movie Dishoom, the Sri Lankan actress has quickly climbed the ladder since her debut in 2009. In the past seven years, she has regularly featured in lead roles alongside some of the Hindi film industry's hottest stars in big-budget blockbusters ranging from thrillers to comedies.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Fernandez, 30, talks about her experience of filming in the capital, working out with her Dishoom co-stars – Bollywood hunks John Abraham and Varun Dhawan – and her plans for Valentine's Day.
How action-orientated is your role in Dishoom?
There are lots of high-octane chases that I’m a part of along with John and Varun. The character herself is quite rebellious – she’s a girl on the run. But I don’t do any fighting.
What is it like to work with John and Varun?
This is my third movie with John. We have such a great comfort level and he’s so easy to work with. With Varun, this is my first film. Off set, we goof around. On set, he’s a great energy to feed off.
Varun told us that on previous Dishoom shoots, you gave him and John a couple of Zumba lessons. Have you all had time to practise your moves in Abu Dhabi?
We haven’t, really. The first few days here, we woke up at 4am and only got back to our hotel at 7pm. We don’t want to get too tired, so I haven’t brought up the Zumba. But we have been pretty much hitting it up at the gym. That’s one of the things I love about this crew. John is an encyclopaedia of nutrition and fitness. When you have him in the gym, it’s really inspiring because he tells you what you need to be doing in your workout. It’s like having a fitness trainer. Varun and I are like two good students – we’re like, “OK, John, tell us, what now? What do we eat after this?” He even gives us protein shakes.
We hear you are working on a new book about skin and diet secrets.
When you’ve been in the film and glamour industry, you learn a lot about health, beauty and fitness, because it’s a really important part of our jobs. So I would love to be able to share that with everyone. It will be stuff that I have learnt over the years. But the book will take some more time, as I need to gather a bit more information.
Is this your first visit to Abu Dhabi?
Yes and I think it’s wonderful. On my first day here, I met Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development. He gave us wonderful insights into Abu Dhabi. I’ve not really had time to see much yet – but I did see Sheikh Zayed Mosque from a helicopter. It looks like a palace.
Where has Dishoom been filming in the city?
We shot in the desert among the sand dunes, and on Yas Island, as we needed a supermarket setting. But it’s been mainly outdoors. We captured some of the best locations of Abu Dhabi.
You starred in the first two Housefull films – do you see yourself as an actress with a flair for making people laugh?
Comedy was something I had never explored before but now I am comfortable with it. And [Housefull star] Akshay [Kumar] is the king of comedy, so you learn so much from him. He's really spontaneous and it makes you spontaneous in the shots – you just end up having a lot of fun. I'd definitely love to get into more comedy. I really hope that Housefull continues because it's a franchise that has really grown.
What are your thoughts on Bollywood “item” numbers? Do you think they add value to films?
In our industry, song and dance play a vital role. Our music videos are actually how we promote films in India. We add an item song because the film gets more visibility, it adds spice – although sometimes it can be about a cameo, and adding another star to the film.
The upcoming film Definition of Fear marks your Hollywood debut. What is it about?
It’s about four girls who go to a cabin in the mountains. My character is a psychology student who writes a paper on the definition of fear. Odd things start happening and they realise that there is a supernatural force around them.
Which Hollywood actor would you love to work with and why?
Leonardo DiCaprio. I have seen The Revenant – it's a great film and I really hope he wins an Oscar for it.
Besides Dishoom, which other films will we see you in this year?
Housefull 3, Definition of Fear and A Flying Jatt, with Tiger Shroff. I'm also shooting this year for Bang Bang 2.
Bang Bang! was filmed in Abu Dhabi. Are there plans to shoot the sequel here?
I don’t think this one will be filmed in Abu Dhabi. The locations we’ve got so far are Malaysia, New Delhi and Atlanta, Georgia. But you never know.
A year ago, there were reports that you would appear in the Indian-Chinese film Gold Struck. Is that still going ahead?
I don’t know because there were some issues in terms of the casting. I think they are still working on it, so hopefully that revives itself because it sounds really interesting.
What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?
If I’m back home in India, then my cat Miumiu will be my date.
artslife@thenational.ae
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
CREW
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5