For Jennifer Winget, the past few months have marked a new chapter, both personally and professionally. After getting married and venturing into entrepreneurship, the actress is also enjoying an interesting phase in her career, with her focus on OTT shows. In a conversation with Bombay Times, she reflects on her acting journey, the transient nature of success and failure, and her wedding, which she had largely kept away from the spotlight.

Talking about the response she has been receiving for her latest work, she says, “It feels great. But I know it goes up and down, and that is the nature of an actor’s life. So, while I am very grateful for it and I’m enjoying every bit of it, I also know that it is very transient.”

Despite having spent much of her life in the public eye, Jennifer says she has always tried to maintain a sense of normalcy. “I’ve always been the kind of girl who likes work-life balance. I’m a very normal girl. I try to keep my head on my shoulders because I know the nature of the industry,” she adds.

Jennifer married Singapore-based businessman William Ishmael in an intimate ceremony in the UK in July, followed by a celebration with friends and family in Goa. While she had kept the wedding private, the response from her fans surprised her.

“It touched me deeply. So many people on the internet kept saying that it felt personal, it felt like it was their family wedding. It makes me emotional. I feel very grateful. And there is no word to describe how that touches me,” she shares.

She believes the affection stems partly from the bond audiences form with television actors over a period of time. Having grown up on television herself, she says, “I have grown up doing television for so long and when that happens, then people actually feel like they know us and we become a part of their lives. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as much anymore.”

For her, the wedding was primarily about having the people closest to her around her. Recalling the experience of being a bride, she says, “It was just so nice to have all our friends and family from every part of the world, and then to have this beautiful, and joyous celebration of Will and I coming together. It was fantastic. I still haven’t been able to process it. It felt like a beautiful dream.”

The actress had kept her relationship away from the spotlight, and the wedding followed the same approach. Asked what it was like to have William beside her on the wedding day, she simply says, “It was great.”

Her wedding jewellery was another personal element of the celebrations. Jennifer was closely involved in designing the pieces, working on the sketches, shapes, proportions and settings until they reflected her preferences. Jennifer Winget and Ekatra Jewels collaborated on the special ‘Not Just For One’ collection, created especially for the actress’ wedding. The actress stepped into the creative field as a co creator with Ekatra Jewels, with the launch of NOT JUST ONE, her new solitaire jewellery collection. 

“I was very clear about what I wanted to wear, it was the biggest moment of my life. I created my wedding jewellery. There’s a story and meaning to it. And what better occasion than my wedding to showcase that? That is what makes jewellery even special,” she says, adding, “My wedding ring has 108 facets and 108 is all about new beginnings. So, it just kind of felt right. Our wedding bands have our wedding date on it.”

Sangeeta Yadav (BOMBAY TIMES; November 8, 2019)

Not many actors are confident sporting a no makeup look. However, looking flawless in her untouched pictures comes naturally to Jennifer Winget. The actor, in her own words, isn’t conscious about looking good all the time, and rather feels good on her no makeup days.

“Actors have to look pretty on screen, but there are days where I want to be a total slob,” confesses the 34-year-old, who was last seen in the TV show Bepannaah.

While more and more actors are opting for cosmetic treatments to look younger, Jennifer feels that it’s completely one’s choice. “If you want to undergo cosmetic treatments, who is anyone else to judge you? It’s your body and only you have the right to do whatever you want to do with it. Which girl doesn’t like getting dolled up? I know I thoroughly enjoy it, and why not?” she asks.

The actor also points out that everything that glitters isn’t gold. She elaborates by saying that though the entertainment world looks glamorous, one should not get swayed by the good looks. “I don’t wake up looking like a diva. I wake up looking like I fought with myself. It takes a whole team to get me looking like I do because that’s the job I signed up for,” Jennifer adds.

However, she is quick to clarify that she isn’t complaining. “People should be able to differentiate between real and reel. Social media can be deceiving and youngsters don’t see through it.”

Asked which actors she looks up to as the most powerful women in today’s time, Jennifer quickly takes Meryl Streep and Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ name. “They’re powerful and confident women who’ve earned a name, and used it for a good cause. Their versatility shows in the films they do globally.”