Jacqueline Fernandez sizzles up the cover of Grazia

After playing the perfect lass in Aladin, Jacqueline Fernandez is style magazine Grazia's cover girl this month. In an 80's inspired cover, the starlet is seen wearing a halter gown and grey suede heels by Valentino and a gold box clutch by Christian Dior.

Although she carries off the glitz with elan, the half Sri Lankan - half Malaysian former Miss Sri Lanka has no qualms about accepting that all the flashlights and fame can be addictive. She tells the mag, "It gives you a high for sure, but you know at the back of your mind that fame can be addictive and there's a very real possibility that it could spiral out of control... When you're in the line of fire everyday, your every move is being judged, you have to juggle crushing schedules... its hard not to lose it from time to time."

But the actress whose next film is Milap Zaveri's Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai is holding her horses till the time is right. "Hard work always pays off, nothing comes without a price and there's no two ways about that," she signs off.

In Pics: Riteish Deshmukh and Jacqueline Fernandez at the launch of 'Aladin'

Jacqueline has two back-to-back films with Ritesh

Sri Lankan import Jacqueline Fernandes makes her B-Town debut with Sujoy Ghosh's Aladin. She has also completed Milap Zaveri's Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai.

Both films have Riteish Deshmukh as her co-star. "Riteish was one of the few people I know since my early days in Mumbai. He is a gem of a person; one of the nicest guys I know. Two movies down with him and I know I can do anything for him. And he can do anything for me."

The actress has been waiting for Aladin to release for long. "Every time I hear that the release date is changed, it is like, "Oh no, please don't do this." But now the film is releasing in October- end, she feels everything takes its own time and place."

The newbie had no clue about Bollywood and was not a keen watcher of Hindi films even though for her dad, it is a familiar territory. "When I told him who were my co-stars were for Aladin, he was more excited than me!"

Jackie is not allowing her lack of knowledge of Hindi be a deterrent. "I have been taking Hindi classes and have improved a lot. When I auditioned for Aladin, I was terrible. Later, at Sujoy's behest I enrolled at Barry John's acting studio.

I also had acting coach Vinod Tharani on the sets helping me with the dialogues and scenes."

As Milap was a constant visitor on the sets of Aladin, she bagged Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai and having Ritesh as her co-star helped. "Now I am only waiting for my films to release."

Jackie who?
Jacqueline Fernandes is a Miss Sri Lanka who did her schooling in Bahrain where her father Elroy and mom Kim, who is a Malaysian, are based. She studied media communications in Sydney and returned to Colombo where her aunt Fredericka Jamsc, a political journalist, introduced her to the TV world. Jacqueline anchored a telly show for a while till she reached Mumbai on a modelling contract which ultimately led her to a role in Aladin.

A look at 'Aladin'

Here's a look at Sujoy Ghosh's Aladin which stars Riteish Deshmukh as Aladin and Sanjay Dutt as the ringmaster.

It also marks the debut of Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandes. With music by Vishal-Shekhar, Aladin is produced by Eros International in association with Sujoy Ghosh's Boundscript Productions. The film is slated for a Diwali release.

Leading lady of Aladin, Jacqueline Fernandes, unveiled

It's time for the red carpet to be laid out. Aladin is aiming for a Diwali release and as the film hits the screens, Bollywood would also see the arrival of its 'most exotic' import ever - Jacqueline Fernandes.

All set to regale the audience with a lethal mix of cute persona and some sensuality, Jacqueline is finally being unveiled by the makers of Aladin. "Well, the journey has just begun. Last one year was quite happening but now it is going to be even more exciting times with Aladin being round the corner", she says.

Over the last few months, Jacqueline was closely guarded for all the right reasons. 2008 had seen quite some noise being made around the number of newcomer girls (Asin, Anushka) while Aladin was still quite some distance away.

Says Sujoy Ghosh, the film's director and co-producer, "There was no point for anyone associated with the film to gaga over Jacqueline because of two major reasons. First and foremost she had just stepped into the industry and she wanted to focus on doing a good job in her debut film. Secondly, it was felt that her being 'exposed' to millions out there so soon would have resulted in an over exposure."

The protective director goes on to add, "Since Jacqueline is one of the four major protagonists of the film, other than Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Riteish Deshmukh, she has always been someone special. Now is the time for her to reach out to the world and I am sure Bollywood followers out there would be stunned with what they see of her."

Jacqueline gets nostalgic while remembering the times she spent on the film's sets, "Playing Jasmine was all fun and frolic with just the right ingredients of quintessential Bollywood 'naach gaana' routine and countless romantic and dramatic moments. It couldn't have been a better start."

Considering the fact that 2009 is perking up now after a dry beginning, it only makes Jacqueline's arrival in the industry even more precious.

An import from Sri Lanka who already has a beauty pageant crown in her kitty (she was Miss Sri Lanka 2006), Jacqueline has been academically inclined as well, as apparent from her degree in Media and Communications from Sydney, Australia. Ambitious to the core, she had once stated - "Being independent and accomplished was imperative to me and I always demanded the best of myself. Perfectionism is my strongest asset."

That's something which is pretty much on display, as clear from her choice for her debut film Aladin which is a co-production of Eros and Sujoy's 'Boundscript' and stars none other than Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt along with Riteish Deshmukh.

Says Jacqueline while spreading out that million dollar smile of hers, "The way Riteish's character is fleshed out in the movie, it was all rather cute. However, nothing can beat the excitement of working with Mr. Bachchan and Mr. Dutt. In a way, they were just the antithesis of Riteish. I couldn't have been luckier."