‘I’d never use language barrier as an excuse’

Since her debut with Aladin (2009), she has made clear inroads into Bollywood to become one of the busiest female actors around. And although Jacqueline Fernandez is of Sri Lankan and Malay-Canadian descent, she has neither let her limited grasp of Hindi become an impediment, nor wants to use “language barrier as an excuse” for anything less than a great performance.

“I would never do that,” says the actor, who has starred in big-ticket films such as Kick (2014), and Judwaa 2 (2017). “Obviously, directors and producers would be hesitant to sign someone who can’t speak the [native] language. It’s normal. But at the same time, it’s a fact that I’ve come a long way. It shows that if you can work hard and function with conviction, you can prove yourself,” she adds.

Jacqueline feels that not knowing the language “can be a drawback if you allow it to be”. She explains, “Initially, it was a kind of drawback [for me] because I used to be very conscious about how I was sounding and mistakes that I was making. But I’m no longer conscious about it.”

Those mistakes haven’t entirely gone away, but with a firm position in Bollywood and more confidence in her work, Jacqueline now thinks that a few slips are “absolutely fine”.

Apart from language, she finds enough ways to make an impact in a film. Jacqueline says, “I’d never allow a language to come between me and my performance. I don’t think that should happen, because as an actor, you’re supposed to play any person with any nationality. Language shouldn’t be an impediment.”

Although Jacqueline has tried to mix her film choices, she has been mostly known for her glamorous parts. “As an actor, I’ve a responsibility towards myself. So, I will only go towards films that I want to do and I am stubborn that way. I’ll never do something that someone else feels I should do,” she says. “Ultimately, I’d be in front of the camera, giving the shot, so it has to be something I can do with conviction, love and passion. If I do commercial or experimental cinema, it’s completely up to me and no one has the right to say how I should go about my work.”

Actor Jacqueline Fernandez starred in the hit comedy Judwaa 2