It was the year 2009, when a young woman stepped foot into the city of dreams, Mumbai, for the first time. She had no idea about the city. All she had was a piece of paper with an address and a phone number written on it. As she exited the airport, several auto drivers approached her. Nervously, she said just one thing: “Take me to Marine Drive.”
The girl who came from Sri Lanka to India with dreams of becoming a model ended up playing the role of Jasmine in Aladdin. Today, she is known across the world as Jacqueline Fernandez, the former Miss Sri Lanka.
With her charming smile and impressive acting skills, Jacqueline carved a special place in people's hearts. However, her Bollywood journey was far from easy. Her initial films were flops, and for almost a year, she didn’t get any work. It was only after the 2011 film Murder 2 that she gained recognition in the industry.
Alongside her film career, Jacqueline’s personal life has also remained in the spotlight. From links with Salman Khan and Sajid Khan to controversies involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, her life has often made headlines.
Began hosting a TV show at 14, worked as a reporter too
Jacqueline completed her schooling in Bahrain. She then pursued a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Sydney in Australia. At just 14 years old, she began hosting a TV show in Bahrain. After graduating, she worked professionally as a TV reporter.
Though she was working as a reporter, Jacqueline always dreamed of becoming a top actress. To pursue that dream, she started modeling in Sri Lanka while continuing her reporting job. During her modeling career, she participated in various beauty pageants.
In 2006, she won the title of Miss Sri Lanka Universe and went on to represent Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe pageant the same year. After that, her life took a turn. She started receiving international modeling offers.
Parents were shocked when she decided to move to India
Jacqueline was doing well in modeling when she met an agency representative at an event who asked her, “Why don’t you try working in India?” Jacqueline replied, “I’ll try.”When she informed her parents about moving to India, they were shocked. “India is a huge country and you don’t know anyone there—how will you manage?” they asked. But Jacqueline had made up her mind and replied that she had everything sorted through the agency.
She recalls landing in Mumbai late at night. “I knew nothing. I only had an address and a phone number written on a piece of paper,” she said. As soon as she stepped out of the airport, a crowd of auto drivers surrounded her. Nervously, she said to one, “Take me to Marine Drive.” The biggest challenge, however, was that she didn’t know Hindi at all—only the word “Namaste.”
Came to India for modeling, ended up playing Jasmine in Aladdin
Jacqueline had come to India just to be part of a modeling show. During this time, she met director Sujoy Ghosh and auditioned for his film Aladdin. She got selected.
Her Bollywood debut came with Aladdin in 2009, opposite Riteish Deshmukh, and also featured Amitabh Bachchan. Though the film flopped, she won the IIFA Award for Best Female Debut.
Breakthrough with Murder 2, hesitant about bold scenes
In 2010, she acted in Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, which also failed at the box office. After that, she didn’t get work for almost a year.
One day, Mukesh Bhatt called and offered her Murder 2. Jacqueline initially refused, saying she wasn’t comfortable with the bold content, especially since she had just done a family film like Aladdin. She even refused again after reaching Goa for the shoot. But eventually, she agreed.
Murder 2 turned out to be a huge hit and the turning point in her career. Her bold avatar opposite Emraan Hashmi caught attention and gave her a solid identity in Bollywood. After that, she never looked back and starred in several successful films like Housefull, Race 2, Kick, and Judwaa 2.
Felt like an outsider due to her accent, mocked for her Hindi
Because of her Sri Lankan accent, Jacqueline initially struggled with speaking Hindi. Many of her films had to be dubbed. Whenever she signed a new film, language became a major issue.
She admitted in an interview with Cine Blitz magazine that in her early days, she never did workshops before shoots, which caused difficulties on set. Her accent was often mocked, making her feel like an outsider in Bollywood. Eventually, she began taking workshops and gradually improved her Hindi.
Advised to undergo a nose job, told to change her age
When she entered the industry, many suggested she should get a nose job and even change her age on her passport to appear younger.
In an interview at the Cannes Film Festival with Brut, Jacqueline shared that people told her, “After 30, girls don’t get work. Change your age on your passport.” One actor even scared her about turning 30. She found this absurd and said she loves her nose and never thought of altering it.
She now feels glad that women are getting roles at every age in the industry.
A glimpse into Jacqueline’s love life
Sheikh Hassan Bin Rashid Al Khalifa (Prince of Bahrain): They were reportedly in a relationship for 10 years but broke up due to long distance.
Sajid Khan: The director was 15 years older than her. They dated for around 2 years. Sajid reportedly helped her bag the Housefull series. Rumors of marriage circulated in 2012, and people on set even called her “Bhabhi.” However, due to Sajid’s controlling nature, they broke up in 2013.
Salman Khan & Sidharth Malhotra: Rumours about Jacqueline and Salman started during the shooting of Kick. Jacqueline denied any romantic involvement, calling Salman a good friend. She was also rumored to have dated Sidharth during A Gentleman. Some even speculated that Jacqueline was the reason behind his breakup with Alia Bhatt.
Controversial link with conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar
Jacqueline’s most talked-about controversy involved alleged links with conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Private pictures of the two went viral, increasing media attention.
According to News18, Sukesh first approached Jacqueline through her makeup artist, spoofing calls to pose as a senior government official and a relative of the late Tamil Nadu CM, Jayalalithaa. Their first contact was via a WhatsApp call in February 2021.
Known for her dance, style & on-screen charm
Jacqueline is also famous for her dance moves, fashion sense, and charm. She has delivered several hit item songs like:
Inspired by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films
Jacqueline was drawn to Bollywood after watching Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, she said:
“When I first watched Devdas at the Cannes Film Festival, I went home and watched the DVD again. I found the film unbelievable—the actors looked stunning, and the performances were brilliant. Then I saw Black, which was so emotional and different.
After watching these two films, I decided I wanted to work in India with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Though that dream hasn’t come true yet.”
Jacqueline has also appeared in South Indian films and judged various reality shows. Her upcoming project is Ahmed Khan’s Welcome to the Jungle, set to release on December 20 in theaters.
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