British model Amy Jackson has recently announced that she will be moving to India permanently. The model-turned-actress from Liverpool, who got her first big break in the Tamil film industry, is currently awaiting the release of I, in which she shares the screen with Vikram
On the I way
Jackson has been working on I for the past two-and-a-half years and considers it to be a milestone. She plays the role of Diya in the romantic thriller and has been counting the days for the film’s release. “Obviously there are very high expectations surrounding the film. It’s a huge part of not only my career, but my life,” she says. Since the release of the movie trailer on December 18, it has received more than 5,421,346 views on YouTube and is trending on Facebook, too. The music by A R Rahman is already a hit among fans and is receiving copious airplay on radio channels as well. Incidentally, Rahman also composed for Ekk Deewana Tha, her debut. “I was lucky to have had beautiful music composed by A R Rahman in Ekk Deewana Tha and for it to happen a second time for I is incredible. I love the entire album, but my favourite has got to be Ladio,” she says.
Ladio also happens to be the first song in which Jackson will be seen dancing from start to finish. “I loved performing it. Choreographer Bosco and his team are the best,” shares the star. Jackson, who feels that Indian men are “truly tall, dark and handsome” (she dated her Ekk Deewana Tha co-star Prateik Babbar), is a fan of Vikram. “He needed to arrive three hours before filming commenced for prosthetics and had to stay behind for hours each day to have it all removed. I can safely say that Vikram is one of the most hardworking and dedicated actors in the industry. He is like a chameleon with each film he does and he inspires me,” shares the actress, who is impressed with the efforts that have gone into promoting I.
“The marketing of the movie is very aggressive. PR is very important and to constantly update on social media is necessary too,” she says. With more than two lakh followers on her Twitter handle, Jackson is comfortably social media savvy.
Upcoming
From playing a governor’s daughter in Madrasapattinam, Jackson has come a long way in the industry. “I was 17 when I did that movie and have spent five years in the industry now. My priorities have changed, I know what I should be doing and I have to learn to master my art,” she confides. After I, Jackson will be seen in director Thirukumaran’s next with actor Udaynidhi Stalin and a film with Dhanush, directed by Velraj. “I am open to doing different roles-say a rustic village belle. Thirukumaran’s film shooting has begun in Ooty and I play a very South Indian girl,” says Jackson, who dismisses rumours of playing a ghost in Venkat Prabhu’s Suriya starrer, Masss. That said, Jackson insists that she will be particular about choosing her roles, especially after I.
“I don’t want to backtrack. I want to make sure I have a strong character in the movie before I take it up,” she says. And being an avid traveller, Jackson doesn’t mind the hectic schedules. “I remember when we went to the mountains in China and had to walk for two hours to eventually reach our shooting spot. The location was definitely worth it though,” she recalls her 50-day shoot in China for I .
Bold & beautiful
Aside from I, Jackson has been busy celebrating Christmas with her family in London. The 22-year-old has also been busy shooting for a gritty BBC drama series for a few months now. After romance-heavy movies like Ekk Deewna Tha and Yevadu, Jackson looks forward to working in an action flick. “I love action and have trained in kick boxing. I’ve been very sporty from childhood and would love to be offered an action packed movie. I continue my classes in kick boxing even today,” she confesses.
The actress also likes a challenge and has done a few bold photo shoots with magazines like Maxim. But is she open to playing a seductress?
“It depends on the film. If I can do justice to the character, then why not? I like strong woman characters,” smiles the actress.