Namma Ponnu AMY | DC

Namma Ponnu Amy Jackson

The Brit beauty, who is moving to the city, talks about her much coveted lead role opposite Vikram in Ai I am very hardworking and dedicated to my acting, it's a way of life for me. I believe Shankar sir knows this and that's why he chose me Kenny and I are great friends too! He has inspired me a lot, with the different emotions he displays to perfection, and of course, the various characters he's essayed in his career. That makes me want to push boundaries

It's been three years since Liverpool lass Amy Jackson was wel comed with open arms into Kollywood -but has she finally broken the curse of the `outsider' tag? It certainly looks like it, as the Ai star is actually moving to namma Chennai! “Yes, Chennai shall be home for me shortly; I've decided that the Tamil film industry is my career -I'm loving my life here at the moment, and want to pursue this path wholeheartedly . I have a lot of friends here! Director Vijay and his family are very close to me, as is Arya. Also, I enjoyed the SIIMA awards where I got to hang out with a lot of actresses,“ smiles the former beauty queen. The success of Madrasapattinam, Ek Deewana Tha and Thaandavam has certainly catapulted her into the elite bracket of heroines today -exemplified by director Shankar choosing her for the lead role in Ai opposite Vikram, which is nearing completion. How has the experience been?

“Incredible. One fine morning, when director Vijay called to inform me that Shankar sir wanted to meet me, I was awestruck. I was in Chennai that very evening! I am very hardworking and dedicated to my acting, it's a way of life for me -I believe Shankar sir knows this and that's why he chose me. After a quick photoshoot of sorts, the role was offered to me -working with Shankar, P.C. Sreeram and A.R. Rahman opposite Kenny (Vikram) -could anyone say no to that? It was wonderful working with Santhanam and Suresh Gopi too. 

The last year and half was sensational; we shot for a long time in China espe cially. Shankar uses such jaw-dropping sets; everything is larger than life and extravagant. Ai is an intelligent thriller with a romantic quotient -my character is called Diya, and is really performance-based with lots of emotional and exciting scenes. That's all I can reveal!“ she exclaims. On her second film with Vikram, she definitely agrees that their working relationship upped the ante. 

“Kenny and I are great friends too! He has inspired me a lot, with the different emotions he displays to perfection, and of course, the various characters he's essayed in his career. That makes me want to push boundaries and attempt something new each time,“ Amy gushes.

The ardent animal lover who is actively involved in the PETA India campaign also says she's trying her best to get over the language barrier, and has actually picked up some Tamil! “I can actually understand when someone says something to me, but I have a little trouble replying, hehe. But acting is my passion and it's necessary for me to learn the language. I would love to work with icons like Murugadoss, Suriya and Dhanush in the future -Ai has set the bar pretty high! I'm a huge fan of Alia Bhatt's; maybe I can act with her sometime,“ Amy says.

With both her parents in Chennai for Deepavali, Amy's absolutely planning to have a blast this festive season. “My dad absolutely loves India, the culture here and the people -more than me! He absolutely thrives on the hustle-bustle here. This Deepavali, I'm planning to fine-tune my cooking skills and make something for my friends and family -fingers crossed, it works out!“ says the star.

Source : Deccan Chronicle / Chennai Times

Dated : NOV 1,2013