The bubbly, beautiful Jacqueline Fernandez has not shied away from admitting that it has been challenging for her to come in from the cold and create her space in the film industry.

The competitiveness and the scrutiny have had their effect on her from time to time. The rumoured catfight with Alia Bhatt over Sidharth Malhotra, for instance, had left her sad and hurt. “It’s the same media and same people that ask you, ‘Why don’t you do more female-oriented roles, what are you doing for women’s rights?’ And it is the same female reporter who asks, ‘What about your cat fight with Alia?’ I was like, ‘you are a woman and how could you even ask me that. Shouldn’t you be uplifting us as actresses?’ Sonam (Kapoor) went through the same thing. I feel the only thing I get written about is she is either dating someone or she is in a catfight with someone.”

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However, if she manages to stay all positive and confident, it’s full credit to the few genuine bonds she has forged in B-town. Take her friendship with Varun Dhawan – she calls him her “soulmate, my onscreen soulmate that is!” Jokes aside, she says, “He’s such a sweet and cool person. Varun and I have an amazing connection, on screen and off it too. I’m able to gel with him easily. He’s probably a co-star I’ve been closest to. When you get to work with people, who are like-minded and who only push you, it’s amazing. Varun has been such.”

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Admitting that friendships in filmland are extremely fragile, she avers, “A lot of people are friends on your face. Whenever there’s a camera put on your face, you have to smile and act like it’s all good. But Sonam and I hit it off instantly. I’m so glad to have found her so early in my career. I’ve found a great support and friend in her. Sonam and Rhea (Kapoor) are like my sisters. I stay over at their house. It’s like home for me. I’m blessed to have such solid people like Sajid Nadiadwala and his family, Salman and his family, the Dhawans. With them, the relationships are not fragile.”

Friends are one thing; friends in powerful places, quite another! Lucky Jackie.