Jacqueline Fernandez

Jacqueline Genevieve Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress based in India. She has worked in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi, besides appearing in reality shows and music videos. Fernandez was born and raised in Bahrain. After graduating in mass communication from the University of Sydney and working as a television reporter in Sri Lanka, she joined the modelling industry. She was crowned Miss Universe Sri Lanka in 2006, and represented her country at Miss Universe 2006.

While on a modelling assignment in India in 2009, Fernandez successfully auditioned for Sujoy Ghosh's fantasy drama Aladin, which marked her acting debut and won her the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female. Fernandez had her breakthrough role with the psychological thriller Murder 2 (2011), her first commercial success. This was followed by glamorous roles in the commercially successful ensemble-comedy Housefull 2 (2012) and the action thriller Race 2 (2013), the former garnered her an IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Fernandez went on to star in the top-grossing action films Kick (2014) and Vikrant Rona (2022), and the comedies Housefull 3 (2016) and Judwaa 2 (2017).

Alongside her screen acting career, Fernandez has worked as a judge in the ninth season of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2016–2017), is a popular celebrity endorser for various brands and products, has participated in stage shows, and is active in humanitarian work.

Early life and modelling career Jacqueline Fernandez was born on 11 August 1985, in Manama, Bahrain, Her maternal grandfather is Canadian and her great-grandparents were from Goa, then part of Portuguese India (now in India). After receiving her early education in Bahrain at Sacred Heart School, After graduating she did a few television shows in Sri Lanka. Her mother Kim died on 7 April 2025 after suffering a stroke.

According to Fernandez, she had aspired to become an actress at a young age and fantasized about becoming a Hollywood movie star. She received some training at the John School of Acting. In a 2015 interview, Fernandez described the modelling industry as "a good training ground" and said: "It is a medium that is about shedding your inhibitions, knowing your body, confidence". In 2006, she appeared in a music video for the song "O Sathi" by music duo Bathiya and Santhush and young female singer Umaria Sinhawansa.

Acting career

Debut and breakthrough (2009–2013) In 2009, Fernandez travelled to India for a modelling assignment. She successfully auditioned for Sujoy Ghosh's fantasy film Aladin (2009) her acting debut. She played the love interest of Riteish Deshmukh's character, a role based on the character of Princess Jasmine. and Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN felt that she was: "easy on the eyes and appears confident but has precious little to do". Although the film was a critical and commercial failure, she won the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female.

In 2010, Fernandez appeared opposite Deshmukh in the science fiction romantic comedy Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai. She was cast as a girl from Venus, who lands on Earth in search of love. Critic Anupama Chopra also criticized Fernandez, calling her "a pin-prick on a balloon". Later that year, she made a special appearance in the song "Dhanno" for Sajid Khan's comedy Housefull.

Mahesh Bhatt's thriller Murder 2 was Fernandez's first commercial success and marked a turning point in her career. She took on the role of Priya, a lonely model who is in a confused relationship with Arjun Bhagwat (played by Emraan Hashmi). Fernandez was praised for her performance, and for the boldness and sex appeal she displayed in the film. Gaurav Malani of The Times of India stated that she was "tastefully tempting" but noted that her romance with Hashmi was "literally half-baked". The following year, Fernandez appeared in the ensemble comedy Housefull 2 alongside Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, and Asin. It became one of the top grossing productions of India that year and earned worldwide. Fernandez received mostly negative reviews for her performance. While Gaurav Malani praised her for her looks, NDTV called her a "blathering bimbo" who "find no pleasure in [her role]". Despite the negative reviews, Fernandez received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 14th IIFA Awards for her performance.

Fernandez's first release of 2013 was Race 2, an ensemble action thriller (alongside Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham and Deepika Padukone), described as the "cinematic equivalent of a trashy novel" by critic Rajeev Masand. She played Omisha, a femme fatale, a role which required her learn fencing and some acrobatics. The film emerged as a commercial success, with the worldwide gross of more than and a net domestically of over . In a particularly scathing review, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote that both Fernandez and Padukone "strut around like wound-up automatons that are all decked-up but have nowhere to go." Also that year, Fernandez appeared in an item number, titled, "Jaadu Ki Jhappi", for Prabhu Deva's romantic comedy Ramaiya Vastavaiya.

Commercial success (2014–2018) In 2014, Fernandez appeared in Sajid Nadiadwala's directorial debut—the action film Kick, a remake of a 2009 Telugu film of same name. She starred opposite Salman Khan, playing Shaina, a psychiatrist. She retained her real voice for the first time in Kick. While Sneha May Francis commented that she is: "incredibly dazzling, and moves like a magic", Raja Sen of Rediff.com was more critical of her dialogue delivery, calling it "unfortunate." The film received mixed reviews from critics, but with worldwide revenue of over , it became the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film. The film established Fernandez as one of the most popular Bollywood actresses.

In 2015, Fernandez featured in Vicky Singh's Roy, a romantic thriller, which critic Sarita A. Tanwar described as a "boring, exhausting and pretentious" film. Fernandez played dual roles, Ayesha Aamir, a filmmaker in a relationship with another filmmaker (played by Arjun Rampal) and Tia Desai, a girl in love with a thief (played by Ranbir Kapoor). While India TV called it "her best act till date", critic Rajeev Masand felt that she "appears miscast in a part that required greater range." Roy failed to meet its box-office expectations, and was a commercial failure. Later that year, she appeared in a guest appearance for the comedy-satire Bangistan.

Karan Malhotra's action drama Brothers was Fernandez's next release. Co-starring alongside Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra, Fernandez played Jenny, a fearless mother struggling for her child, a role which she described as "challenging", "intense", and "difficult". The role marked a departure from the glamorous characters that she had a reputation for portraying. Film critic Subhash K. Jha noted that she: "...in a limited role gives her finest emotive shot", while critic Raja Sen remarked: "[she] plays Kumar's long-sobbing wife who gets so deliriously happy on seeing a text message that it may well have contained news about a Kick sequel." Later that year, she starred in the horror thriller Definition of Fear, which marked her Hollywood debut.

Fernandez began 2016 with a role in Housefull 3 which is the third instalment to the Housefull Series'. The ensemble comedy film paired her with Akshay Kumar as her love interest. The critic for Firstpost was disappointed with the picture and criticized Fernandez for her inclination towards a film, where she is treated as nothing more than a "visual attraction". Nevertheless, the film was a commercial success, grossing worldwide. Her next film—the action adventure Dishoom—also grossed worldwide at the box-office.

In 2017, Fernandez appeared in Chandran Rutnam's English-Sri Lankan crime-thriller According to Matthew. Her next film was the action-comedy A Gentleman, with Siddharth Malhotra from the director duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. The film was poorly received by critics and was a box-office flop. Later that year, she appeared in David Dhawan's comedy film Judwaa 2, opposite Varun Dhawan and Taapsee Pannu. It was a sequel to the 1997 comedy film Judwaa. The film proved to be a box-office success earning worldwide. In 2018, she starred alongside Salman Khan in Race 3, the third addition to the Race Franchise. Race 3 was a box office success earning more than worldwide despite mixed reviews.

Career setbacks (2019–present)

In recent years, Fernandez's films have been critical failures. Fernandez has starred in Tarun Mansukhani's Drive opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. She also starred in the Netflix original film, Mrs. Serial Killer, directed by Shirish Kunder. She also featured with Akshay Kumar for the fourth time in a gangster drama Bachchhan Paandey. In 2022, she was featured in the Kannada film Vikrant Rona, which was received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

In 2025, Fernandez appeared opposite Abhishek Bachchan in Housefull 5. The film was released in two versions, titled Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B, each featuring a different climax and murderer. Devesh Sharma stated that she adds to the "glamour quotient", but has nothing to do in the film.

Personal life and other work

Fernandez shares a close bond with her family, and in 2012 discussed how she misses being around them.

In 2008, Fernandez started dating Bahraini prince Hassan bin Rashid Al Khalifa, whom she met at a mutual friend's party; they separated in 2011. While filming Housefull 2 in 2011, Fernandez began a romantic relationship with director Sajid Khan. The relationship attracted media coverage in India and there was speculation of an impending wedding. However, the relationship ended in May 2013.

Fernandez was the brand ambassador of the Indian Super League club Delhi Dynamos for the 2017–18 season, where she helped the club in engaging with the fans across the city and country. She was also the first female to be appointed the brand ambassador of an Indian football club.

Fernandez has supported charitable organizations and a number of causes. For advocating the welfare of animals, Fernandez was named "Woman Of The Year" by PETA (India) in 2014. Fernandez is a vegan.

Fernandez has participated in several concert tours and televised award ceremonies. In 2013, she performed at the Temptations Reloaded in Auckland, Perth, and Sydney alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Madhuri Dixit. She also performed at the live talent show "Got Talent World Stage Live" with Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Varun Dhawan the following year. In July 2014, Fernandez opened a restaurant in Colombo, Kaema Sutra, in collaboration with chef Dharshan Munidasa, which specialises in contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine. In July 2018, Fernandez co-founded her activewear clothing line-up, Just F. In March 2022, Fernandez danced to instant hit "Arabic Kuthu", alongside other actresses, on a TV show.

Legal disputes

Since December 2021, Fernandez has been a subject of an investigation into a money laundering case involving ₹2 billion. The investigation is being carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) who questioned Fernandez for 10 hours in relation to the case on 9 December 2021. On 22 December, ED rejected Fernandez's request to downgrade the look out circular (LOC) which was issued against her in the case which blocks her to travel outside India. Fernandez was removed from the film The Ghost starring Nagarjuna. It is speculated that the eviction from the film happened due to the money laundering case. On 17 August 2022, the Enforcement Directorate named Fernandez as an accused in the same money-laundering case involving Sukesh Chandrashekhar. In response, she said that FDs were made before having any links with the conman and all her income was legal and tax was also paid on it. On 26 September 2022, at the request of Fernandez's lawyer, the court granted interim bail to Jacqueline on a bail bond of ₹50,000.

In the media

In 2008 and 2011, Fernandez featured in the UK magazine Eastern Eye "World's Sexiest Asian Women" list, ranking twelfth. She was ranked third on The Times of India listing of the "Most Desirable Woman" in 2013 and 2014, after being ranked eighth, seventh and fourteenth, respectively, in the preceding three years. In 2013, Rediff.com placed her on their list of "Bollywood's Best Dressed Actresses". The following year, she held the sixty second position in the Indian edition of the Forbes Celebrity 100, a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities.

In early 2013, Fernandez became the ambassador for HTC One, which she endorses in India. She was the face of Indian Bridal Fashion Week—IBFW of 2013. Later that year, she became the spokesperson for Gareth Pugh's designed Forevermark Diamonds in Mumbai, and was at the inaugural opening of the Forever 21 store in Mumbai. While analyzing Fernandez's career, India TV noted: "Slowly and steadily Jacqueline Fernandez is climbing up the ladder of success [...] Jacqueline is comfortably grasping every aspect of the work, which an actress is required to do and is accordingly giving results." On the contrary, Charu Thakur of India Today criticized her acting skills, but remarked that: "[she has] managed to find her feet in Bollywood now by banking on glamorous roles".

Filmography

Films

All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.

Television

Music video appearances

Discography YearSongSingerWriter(s)Ref.2024"Stormrider"Jacqueline FernandezAmrita Sen, Robin Grubert

Awards and nominations A Flying Jatt Most Entertaining Dancer – Male/Female Dishoom Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards IndiaBest Movie Actor (Female)Judwaa 2