‘Jackie is no competition’

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Stepping off the ramp and sashaying straight into the sets of a Bollywood flick has been the norm for most Indian beauty queens right from Aishwarya Rai to Priyanka Chopra, but the trend seems to have drifted to our neighboring countries too. After Jacqueline Fernandez who won the title of Miss Sri Lanka in 2006, it is Gamya Wijayadasa who is in tinsel town to chase her Bollywood dreams.

A self-confessed Bollywood buff, the starlet is excited about making her debut with Manish Manikpuri’s Aalaap. “The journey to Bollywood was a dream indeed. I grew up watching Hindi films, wanting to be a part of it and to finally be living that dream is a blessing,” she says. While bagging the role wasn’t a cakewalk exactly, Gamya believes it was worth the effort. “It is a struggle doing anything worthwhile in life. Besides, moving to a different country and settling all by myself has been quite a task,” she says adding, “I love what I do so I enjoy it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Gamya knew since the time she stepped foot in the industry that comparisons with her senior Jacqueline were inevitable. And that doesn’t seem to bother her. “Jackie and I have both won the title of Miss Sri Lanka so the comparisons are obvious. But I don’t see her as competition. I am a beginner while she is an established actress. We’re on different planes altogether. But Bollywood’s known to be a warm and welcoming industry so I hope to grow and prosper gradually,” she says.