Jacqueline Fernandez, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming action-thriller 'Race 2', says she is happy with the way things have opened up for her in Bollywood.

 

Jacqueline, former Miss Sri Lanka, made her debut in Hindi cinema with box office dud 'Aladin' in 2009 but later went on to star in movies like 'Housefull' and 'Murder 2'.

 

The actress says she is happy with her decision to come to Bollywood, which was a completely new world for her at one time.

 

"I can't believe that I had guts to come all the way to Bollywood as I did not know anything about it. Sometimes I am like 'What was I thinking?'. It would scare me to death to do something like that now. I guess I was quite fearless at that time.

 

"But I could not have asked for more. I am grateful for the opportunities which are beyond my expectations," Jacqueline said over a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

 

Jacqueline says her decision to travel all the way to another country for a career has made her a stronger woman. "When I came here, I did not have anyone to go to for advice. Now, I have people from within the industry who have been helpful and kind of there for me. They are a guiding force at the end of the day. But when it comes to major decisions, I like to do it on my own because I started like that."

 

The actress is now looking forward to start her year on a happy note with the release of 'Race 2' on January 25.

 

Jacqueline, who went through a special training to learn a Vietnamese martial arts form for the film, says she has put in a lot for this character and hopes that it becomes her first hit of the year.

 

"It was a very challenging role. Our action-director did not want to use any body double for any of the actors including Saif (Ali Khan or John (Abraham). It prepared us for the challenges ahead because we wanted to live up to the expectations.

 

"I went through three months of training to learn the basics of Vietnamese fencing and action choreography. It was extremely intense and I hope it looks good on the screen."

 

Jacqueline is sharing screen space with two other Bollywood beauties -- Deepika Padukone and Amisha Patel -- but the actress says she is not worried about being compared.

 

"In a multistarrer you need to focus on your character and not think about others. You should forget about comparison and any other thing. You are working on the same movie so do the best you can."

 

The actress is also excited about playing a grey character for the first time in her career.

 

"This was a very interesting role because it gave me the chance to do lot of research and homework. My character had to be mysterious and physically fit.

 

Jacqueline hopes that 'Race 2' brings more interesting roles her way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOI