After a five-year hiatus from Indian cinema, Amy Jackson is back in Bollywood with Crakk, billed to be India's first extreme sports action film. The February 23 release, which stars action man Vidyut Jammwal, Arjun Rampal and Nora Fatehi, has Amy playing a no-nonsense cop. t2 caught up with the British actress — who has just wrapped up a Guy Ritchie-directed Hollywood film — on what kept her away and that dreamy proposal from Ed Westwick (that's Chuck Bass for all you Gossip Girl fans) in the Alps a few weeks ago.

The trailer of Crakk is quite a cracker, pun intended. What attracted you to the film?

I was very interested in the audience's feedback and feelings towards the trailer. So I went live (on Instagram) to gauge that. This is a whole new genre for me. Vidyut Jammwal is the action king and he has done all of this before. But he has also said that Crakk has taken the action genre to a new level, which is evident from the stunts, the choreography, the way it is shot and the soundtrack. It is very intense, it keeps you on the edge of your seat and it is one of those films that doesn't let you come up for breathing time. It is always: 'Go, go, go', which I think is awesome and and that is what an action film should do. It is all about the adrenaline rush.

Over the last few years, I have been conscious to pick parts that I haven't done before and also those which complement everything that is happening now. I love the fact that Patricia Novak (her character in Crakk) is so performance-based. There is a lot of acting without words, a lot of emotion and lots of layers to the character.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Aditya Datt (director). We had a Zoom (call) when I was in London. I had just finished shooting my film (Five Eyes, with Jason Statham and Hugh Grant) with Guy Ritchie. I was very careful about what I wanted to do next. Once I spoke to Aditya, I realised he had great vision and a fresh take on how action movies should be shot. I had a really good rapport with him and that was a big plus point for me.

You do a fair bit of action in Crakk. What was that experience like?

For the last two or three years, I have incorporated kickboxing, boxing and Muay Thai into my fitness regimen. I have always been interested in boxing. Ed (Westwick, actor and Amy's fiance) and I travel all over the world to see our favourite boxers. I follow the sport and I thoroughly enjoy it. It is a fantastic form of fitness. When I was offered the film, I was like: 'Great, I have got some experience under my belt.' But I had to take it to the next level to be on screen with Vidyut, who has been doing this since he was three.

Also, one needs to let it translate well on screen and make it look aesthetic. I did a lot of action training beforehand and got lots of advice from the main man (Vidyut) himself. Crakk is completely international. It was shot in Mumbai and also in Poland. It has had technicians from all over the world working on it. The cast is peppered with so many different kinds of people from different parts of the world.

Does this experience make you want to do more action films going forward?

It does! I love the energy on an action film set. It is buzzy, it is electric. There is a lot of prep and vigorous training that goes into it. I enjoy that. That is almost therapy for me. I use fitness, cross-country running and boxing as a form of mentally decompressing, for keeping fit and also for sheer enjoyment. I had to amp it up for the film, which has opened my eyes to a new genre.

Do you like watching action films?

Definitely! My favourite actor is Dwayne Johnson. At the age of 10, I remember my sister taking me to the WWE in Manchester. I made a placard and held it up for The Rock (Johnson) and it said: 'Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?' (Laughs) Action films are a great escape from reality, which is what you want cinema to be. An action film should be seen on the big screen, it should have surround sound and guarantee a full cinematic experience.

You have just worked with a huge action star like Jason Statham. I hope you are manifesting that film with Dwayne Johnson...

Oh yes! I have a list of people I would love to work with. The Rock is definitely one of them. I have been lucky enough to work with Akshay (Kumar), who is the 'Khiladi' of India, in Singh is Bling.

You took a five-year break from Indian films. What brought on that?

I had my little boy (Andreas) after the film 2.0. I had him in 2019, got busy with motherhood and then Covid-19 hit us. For two years, I couldn't come to India because of that. It was a very difficult period for a lot of people but for me, it was a restful time because I got to spend time with my little boy, completely uninterrupted and with no mom guilt for working (smiles).

Then, the lockdown lifted and I shot the Guy Ritchie film, which was a very strange period because we couldn't interact with anybody, we had to stay in our hotel rooms and we were quarantined for a week before we went to the set. I had heard a lot about what it is like on a Guy Ritchie set but obviously, it was a very different way of life then.

Crakk and the other film (Mission: Chapter I in Tamil) came to me about six months post that. I think people had the impression that because I had a child, I wouldn't be continuing my career. But I am very strong and decisive in my thought process of being a working mother and instilling a strong work ethic into my boy. I am very much about gender equality and having my son realise that his mom works. He comes with me to work and sees what I do. At the same time, we have a beautiful home life and that is very important to me.

When you work in the West, do you tangibly see your experience and skills acquired while working in Indian films contributing to your performance?

Every film that I have done has massively contributed to me as an artiste. I have had the opportunity to work in regional cinema in India, in Bollywood, in America and then in the UK and I am constantly progressing, evolving and learning. I don't differentiate between languages and countries. I am there to do a job and embody a character. It is an act at the end of the day, no matter what country I am in and what language I am speaking.

What are your career goals over the next few years?

Being a mother is at the forefront of every decision and every choice I make. I am very conscious of doing work which is close to my heart. I am not looking at doing back-to-back films... that is not my way of life anymore. Now, it is quality over quantity.

We loved those pictures of Ed Westwick dreamily proposing to you in Gstaad a few weeks ago. Did he catch you completely by surprise?

He did it very well! (Laughs) He is as much a hopeless romantic as I am, and he definitely did not disappoint. He is a typical Cancerian... he is full of emotion and full of love, which is great for me because I am the same kind.

The proposal was very well thought out. He said that he had been planning it for three or four months and it was fantastic! The nerves were kicking in in the morning, I think. I could feel them. I just thought he had too much coffee! (Laughs) But it turned out to be a beautiful day for us.