
A teenage beauty queen has become an overnight Bollywood sensation after landing the lead role in India's latest blockbuster... despite having NEVER acted before.
Miss England contestant Amy Jackson, 18, became the first unknown British girl to appear in a Bollywood film, starring as heroine Amy Wilkinson in the movie 'Madrasapattinam'.
Model Amy was hand-picked for the role by top Indian director A L Vijay, after he spotted her picture on the Miss England website.
Amy, from Woolton, Liverpool, said: "I couldn't believe it. I'd never acted in my life - I didn't even know I could act!
"Beauty pageants are big over in India so the director saw me on the competition website. He liked that I was white but had an Indian look so he tracked me down."
Within a month, Amy was whisked off to film in the teeming Indian cities of Chennai and Hyderabad in Southern India.
The gorgeous brunette added: "The cast and crew made me so welcome. I was worried about the language barrier but everyone made such an effort with me I settled in fine.
"Filming was so nerve-wracking though. I'm used to modelling shoots where there's about ten people on set, but I had to act in front of hundreds of cast and crew members.
"That's real pressure when you've never acted before.
"But it was amazing working with A L Vijay because he is so passionate about his work. This film was his dream and I feel honoured that he chose me to help him fulfill it."
The film is set in the pre-independence India of the 1940s and tells the love story of a Madrasi man, played by Bollywood star Arya, and the British daughter of the governor of Madrasapattinam.
The film topped the Bollywood box office on its release last month, making former Miss Teen World Amy an instant superstar.
She recalled: "At the film premier in Chennai, as soon as my character came on the screen, the audience went wild cheering and clapping.
"We did a promotional tour across India and everywhere we went there were thousands of screaming fans at every venue.
"It's so crazy, it's like two different worlds. Everything is calm at home and I'm just Amy, then when I go to India I get mobbed.
"Now I get at least 150 emails from fans every day."
Having admitted that she would not have considered switching to acting until much later in her career, Amy is now a Bollywood convert.
She added: "Acting is my job now and I take it very seriously.
"I've been reading through some Bollywood scripts and I'll definitely do another film."
With her Bollywood stardom cemented, Amy is now looking ahead to her next challenge - the Miss England final on 1st September.
The current Miss Liverpool said: "It's my dream to win Miss England so I'm completely focused on that right now.
"My diary's pretty full with fundraising at the moment - I'm even diving with sharks to raise money for local charities!"
Antipop return to this year's Threshold Festival
(Sun 05/02)
Hooka celebrates first birthday in new salon
(Fri 03/02)
sreethar, india around 1 year, 5 months ago