AMY JACKSON SAYS 'I get treated like a princess in India, it is like a different world'

Says Amy Jackson, British beauty
who is taking Bollywood by storm

Beauty gene ... former Miss Liverpool and Bollywood star Amy Jackson

James Rudland

By JANE ATKINSON

Published: Today at 01:45

AS a schoolgirl, Amy Jackson was so shy she would feign illness before drama classes to avoid performing in front of friends.

She was even bullied before she had her crooked teeth corrected.
Her only ambition was to pass her exams and follow in her mum’s footsteps and work with horses.
Fast forward five years and her life has changed beyond her dreams.
The brunette beauty from Liverpool is a massive movie star in India, her films attract audiences of millions and she has her own language and dance teacher, driver, cook, personal assistant and make-up artist.
Amy’s life was turned on its head when a Bollywood film director spotted a picture of her on the internet and decided she had the perfect look for his films.
He tracked her down and now Amy — still just 21 — has become the first ever white Brit to star in the leading role of an Indian film.
She can’t walk down the street in Mumbai without protection for fear of being mobbed by her army of fans.
And not only does she now command hundreds of thousands of pounds per film, she has also bagged herself a hunky leading man.

Bolly dolly ... India movie star Amy Jackson poses for shoot

James Rudland

Amy told The Sun: “It is ridiculous — like a mad whirlwind.
“I realised just how famous I was when I went to a film awards ceremony last year and people were screaming my name.
“I get treated like a princess in India, it is like a different world.
“I can’t go out on my own without a driver. I recently treated myself to a Mercedes CLS and was looking forward to driving it. The roads are manic in Mumbai so I went out to the supermarket late at night.
“But I had to pull over after a few minutes and get my driver to come and get me — it was too crazy.
“It’s mad that I am so famous. I was once so terrified of acting that I used to pretend I was ill to get out of drama. I was so shy I couldn’t stand up in front of people and speak. Now I’m in the next big three Bollywood movies.
“I’m signed up for work for the next two years and I am one of the youngest ever actresses out there. I feel like pinching myself.”

Jackson strive ... Bollywood star Amy Jackson cast as the female lead in Madrasapattinam

Mecury

Amy was only 16 when she was spotted by a modelling scout while at a horseriding show. She said: “I’d had my braces by then, my teeth had been sorted.
“I used to dress up in my older sister Alisia’s clothes and thought modelling would be fun.”
She went on to enter Miss Teen World, Miss Teen International and Miss England and signed with top agency Samantha Bond in London.
Her mum Rita, a horseriding teacher, and dad Alan, a BBC radio producer, backed her when she quit college with exceptional GCSEs.
Amy said: “I did two weeks studying philosophy and ethics but I wasn’t enjoying it. Mum said I should perhaps take a year out then go back to education.
“That was in September 2009 and I was the Miss Teen World so I started travelling to America doing promotional work for the title.
“I loved it. I am 5ft 7in so too short for the catwalk, but I loved glamorous photoshoots. Modelling finally gave me confidence.”
But she hadn’t bargained on meeting Bollywood director A.L. Vijay.

Perfect start ... Bollywood film star Amy Jackson as Miss Teen World

Mercury

He was in the UK that year looking for new stars for his movies and searched the internet for British girls. Amy’s agency contacted her and said he wanted to meet.
She travelled from Walton, Liverpool, to London in December.
Amy said: “The director liked that I was white but had an Indian look.
“He offered me the job. I told him I’d never acted but he said he would arrange workshops for me and help me with the scripts and the language.
“I thought, ‘Why not?’. It was a three-month contract in India and I saw it as a mini adventure.”
She signed up to play a British girl in Madrasapattinam — a period drama — and within days flew to Chennai.
Amy said: “I’d never been anywhere like it. There were cows wandering through the city.
“I was homesick, I didn’t like the spicy food, I missed my friends and a good fry-up. But I fell in love with the film sets.” The film came out in July 2010 to critical acclaim and Amy was an instant star. Since then she has done three films.
Her wages match those of a Hollywood star — and she has the lifestyle to go with it.
She met Bollywood hunk Prateik Babbar, 25, on set and the couple now live together.

Love interest ... Bollywood star Amy Jackson with boyfriend Prateik Babbar

Beaming Amy, currently in the UK filming her latest Indian film, said: “We are an A-list couple in India. People ask us for photographs and autographs all the time. We get recognised wherever we go. Actors in India are massive and treated like mini gods. “I’ve been on the cover of Vogue, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan magazines. I’m the face of Emporio Armani in India. But I don’t take it for granted — I work hard every day to make sure I get better and better.
“I often work seven days a week, 12 hours a day. I have a daily dance lesson and a Hindi teacher.
“I didn’t even go home for Christmas because I wanted to work.
“The world of Bollywood is crazy. It is the biggest film industry in the world. I have my own personal assistant who sorts out my life. He brings me green tea on set and sorts my lunch, dinner and chocolate biscuits.
“I have a cook called Sheila at home who makes me scrambled eggs in bed. I can’t cook a thing so when she is off at weekends I struggle. I bring Super Noodles and Pot Noodles back from the UK — I am going to take about 50 packets back this time. I can survive if I have them.”
Amy has a legion of fans — but has also faced racism. She said: “Foreign girls are not easily accepted — there’s only been one British girl who made it in films before me but she has Indian family. The business can be really competitive, really bitchy.
“The older generation don’t like that a non Indian girl is starring in their movies. I get nasty messages on Twitter.
“It is racism. It used to upset me but I’ve learnt to get on with it. I will work hard and prove them wrong. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be where I am today.
“And the best thing about it? That has to be finding love with my leading man.
“If you had said to me a few years ago that I would leave Liverpool and be a film star in India I would have said you were mad.”