MUMBAI: The Sri Lankan-born actor says hard work and honesty can do wonders.

“It is a very competitive industry. They say that if you want to survive here, you have to be cut-throat. But I don’t see a need for that. Sometimes I feel that hard work works,” Jacqueline told IANS in an interview.

Personally, she feels it is better to forgive and forget than hold a grudge against anyone.

“I think betrayal is a part and parcel of life and I think we all have experienced it. But I am someone who doesn’t believe in holding grudges. I am someone who forgives and forgets,” she said.

Born to a Sri Lankan father and Malaysian mother, Jacqueline was raised in Bahrain. At the age of 14, she was hosting a fitness show. She moved to Australia to attend  college and then returned to Sri Lanka, where she took up a reporting job.

The year 2006 turned to be a game-changer for her as she entered the Miss Sri Lanka beauty pageant and won the crown. That set the stage for the Miss Universe contest at Los Angeles for her. She didn’t make it to the finals, but her visibility drew in advice that she must try her luck in Bollywood.

She made her debut in the Indian film industry with 2009 film, Aladin, opposite actor Riteish Deshmukh. Though it didn’t click at the box-office, the film landed her roles in Housefull 2,Murder 2 and now Race 2.

Creating a place for herself was not easy, says Jacqueline.

“It is a little difficult when you have come from abroad. I feel that the industry embraces people who are from the industry faster and with wider arms. But once you have proved yourself, it is easier for them to accept you,” she said.

With two successful films Murder 2 and Housefull 2 in her kitty, Jacqueline views the achievement as an add-on responsibility.

“It [success] just gives you more responsibility. I guess it makes you work harder,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2012.