AS YOU will know by now, I am interviewing Amy Jackson in her bedroom and admiring the beautiful views of the sea.
In a designer dress that makes her look like a hippie, Amy poses for pictures and you can sense she’s here to stay for a long time in Indian cinema and is enjoying her new-found status.
I glance at her as she takes her sandals off and hops on the bed.
In a second she chants ‘Om, Om, Om’, then puts on sunglasses and makes me an offer I couldn’t refuse, ‘Can you teach me how to cook food? I want to learn’. ‘Hell yeah, Amy. I will teach you how to cook’, I answer. Suddenly I feel like I’d developed an eloquent British accent.
Everything about Amy is surprising – her house, her conversation, her mannerisms, her humour and her generosity.
For a minute I forget I am talking to the most talked about actress and the most featured face in the glossy magazines. She’s got all the qualities of your best friend: happy, confident and full of hugs.
Part 2 of the exclusive ‘On a Date with Amy Jackson’ continues...
AMY JACKSON: I’ve just moved into this new house of mine and I love it. So sorry for all this, but there are lots of things that need moving.
DEVANSH PATEL: That’s fine. I see you’ve done a pretty nice job so far in your new pad in Mumbai.
AJ: Yes. I have. I got these bed sheets from Liverpool though. I got a few things picked up from here. The bedsheet are from Next.
DP: Wow! It looks awesome. Nice colour. But you know what? I miss standing in the queue at 5am for the Next sale. I miss London.
AJ: Me too. I missed the Boxing Day sales last year.
DP: And they don’t have River Island here either. That’s bad.
AJ: Exactly. I’m wearing River Island shoes. It’s so good to be talking to someone who knows about the UK.
DP: Your parents must be missing you?
AJ: Yes. I have the best mum in the world. My dad’s superb as well. They are actually coming over in a couple of weeks for the release of Ekk Deewana Tha. Then I’ve got my big sister who is a ‘go-to’ girl, so if I ever need any advice on boys, she’s around to help me.
DP: Do you send pictures back home for them to see what their Amy is up to?
AJ: (Laughs) Yes, I do. I talk on Skype with my friends and my mum has seen the pictures. I miss them all.
DP: Your friends must be so envious of you?
AJ: No! I’ve got the best of friends. When you reach a certain point in your life you realise who your true friends are, don’t you? I’m close to my girl gang and I’m very lucky to have them. There are five or six of us who are like a close-knit family.
DP: Very much like the Spice Girls.
AJ: Yes. They are going to be here soon and I will celebrate my birthday with them again.
DP: Where do we go next? I don’t mind a long walk with you near the beach. What do you say?
AJ: I think it’s perfect. But not today. I have to go out with Prateik to promote my movie. Actually we’ve done a lot of walks together to promote our movie too, can you believe it? We’ve done Carter Road and now we are going to Juhu Beach. It’s exciting. I also like to sit near a coffee shop that’s near my house, Cafe Coffee Day. It’s so relaxing there.
DP: Yes, facing the sea, it’s awesome. But what makes Mumbai’s sea face so fascinating are those couples sitting on the rocks near the sea. It’s a sight worth a watch.
AJ: I can see some now (Amy points at a couple that we can see clearly from her window). Whenever I am lonely I come near my window and look out and all I can see are those sweet couples. I get to see them all the time (laughs).
DP: You definitely can’t see this sight in the UK near the beach, can you?
AJ: No you can’t. That’s so true. Everybody out there wants fancy things but no one wants simple pleasures out of life. I love it here, ever since I’ve moved to Mumbai.
DP: You guys love the sun, don’t you? That scorching heat, that natural tan.
AJ: Yes, I love it. I love getting tanned. There’s no artificial tan. I laid in the grass a while back and got baked (laughs).
DP: I’d love to take some crazy pictures with you someday.
AJ: Sure, let’s do it now. Do you want one while I give you massage? (I literally choked when Amy said that... and then there was silence for a few seconds).
