Looking pretty in an anarkali suit, while on a tour to Lucknow to promote her latest film 'Ragini MMS 2', Sunny Leone came across as a simple, down to earth actress. Ask her why she chose to wear a full-sleeved anarkali suit, ditching her sexy avatar, and Sunny says, "It's nothing to do with Lucknow or the people here. You all are great. For the city tours I pick things a little different.You know, when sometimes you're shooting for TV, it doesn't always look good when you're fully covered; Western outfits look better on TV. Even otherwise I love Indian suits. Sometimes, the sari gets a bit cumbersome because of the 50 pins you have to put here and there, to hold it together. But I love it. Saris make me look really beautiful. And since I live in the US where you don't see much Indian clothing like saris and anarkalis or Indian suits, so for me this (dressing up) is fun."
I credit Bigg Boss for my popularity
Sunny, better known as an adult film actor and producer, was first introduced to Indians as a contestant on the controversial show Bigg Boss Season 5 in 2011, and she credits the show for making her popular in India. "If it wasn't for Bigg Boss, I wouldn't have been known by Indians in the same manner. I think it was the greatest platform through which I could have made an entry into Bollywood. Because I was in every body's living rooms for six weeks straight at 10 o'- clock every night. They could see how I could make non-round chapaatis and cutting sabzi and doing all the housework and they just got to know my personality. I think that helped a lot with my entering into Bollywood. Because if I had come here just as Sunny and not through Bigg Boss, I think I wouldn't have accomplished what I have in such a short time."
I'm a Punjabi and we love our food
The mention of cooking makes us wonder if Sunny is the cooking at home types after she's done with work and is at home? "I cook a lot. Actually I cook all the unhealthy food at home. My husband Daniel is the one who does all the healthy cooking. I like all the comfort foods. I'm a Punjabi and we love our food! But with Daniel around it's as if I have the food FBI behind me telling me what not to eat because I have to remain in shape and diet and work out. But as actors we have too remain slender and perhaps not look normal at times just to look attractive and suffer in return," she adds with a sigh.
Daniel wants a baby girl
The question of the couple's plans to extend their family is met with a little trepidation by Daniel, who wonders why everyone asks them that question. But Sunny answers it easily and says, "We definitely want to have children at some point. Danny wants a little baby girl and I want the baby to be just healthy, whether it's a boy or a girl. But I don't know when that will be, hopefully it will be soon. Right now I don't think I can replace what's going on in my life, so you never know. I might just leave and come back with a baby one day. I might just scream 'I had a baby and nobody knew!" says she laughing out loud.
I am human after all
But even as Sunny discusses food and parenthood, she cannot shrug off the image of an adult film star. Recently singer Arijit Singh had said he was not happy with his song Kabhi Jo Badal Barse from Jackpot being picturised on Sunny. A religious outfit had also banned her entry in Indore, prohibiting her to promote her film in the city. Sunny, on her part says she is not immune to such negative news. "I don't think I believe all of these rumours because if he (Arijit) didn't want me to be featured in the song, or if he didn't know about it, why did he sing that song in Jackpot? He wouldn't have sold the song to the producers if he knew I was in it, to begin with. I mean he did sing it and he did sell it," she rationalises, and goes on to say, "I am human after all. When you hear such things it hurts. But I pick up some logic in my mind as to why people say what they do. And there's a lot that's said which isn't true, so I try not to take it to heart. I tell all my family and friends not to send me any negative articles. I ask them to send me all positive ones and I'll read that. It's easier that way."
She further adds, "It's like you're passing the traffic lights and feel people's eyeballs on you but it's fine. I understand why they are looking. So, I don't hold anything to heart and get after somebody, that why did you write this or why are you staring? It is what it is and you can't do anything about it. I guess it is better that they are writing something about you than not writing about you at all! Also hopefully one by one, day by day, each reporter I talk to, the truth about me will emerge and people will know me as I am."
The sexy image is a marketing strategy
But is she OK with how her image of an adult film star is often exploited in Bollywood? "Yes, it's a strategy that has been created for the films. But when people watch the movie Ragini MMS 2, a lot of myths will be busted. It's not just sex in the film, in fact that's a very small portion of the movie. In this film they will see my acting and their minds will hopefully be changed. When people watch me in the film in totality, then probably they will judge me based on my acting skills rather than anything else."
Sunny is now two-years-old in the industry, with Ragini MMS 2 being her third film. In all her films, she has been projected as a bold and sexy woman. But she says, that with each film offer, the perception of people in Bollywood is changing and the films that she is now being offered are more acting oriented. "I think I have more people that like me than those who don't like me. As for perceptions, I have no idea how they perceive me. I get a lot of different movie offers all the time. Even today I was reading two films' synopsis in the car..."
Sunny adds, "But what I have learned over the last two years is that it's more than just picking something based on the story or the producer or the actors. It's like a whole circle here, where your success depends on so many things. While it's completely opposite in the US. There, the actors work because they want to work. Take for instance someone like Brad Pitt who makes an independent film, which doesn't even get released in theatres, yet he is so successful and not bogged down by film offers and work. He works when he wants to. That's with all actors there. And that's all they want to do. They can make an art film, an independent film or a huge commercial hit and nobody would care."
Film production is the natural progression for my husband and me
Sunny doesn't deny the possibility of turning producer of Hindi films in future. "That's a natural progression for my husband and I. I've had my own business since I was 18 and he's got his own business since he was out of university as well, so it's a natural thing for us to do. He does say we should make a movie here and I say hold on! I think we should learn every in and out of this industry. I think we should first learn the distribution, the marketing, the finance side of production, before we step into it. Because we don't want to make a movie just to make one, we want it to be a success and make money on it. That's why producers invest money in films, to make money from it. It's a business and I want to do well in it too."
Talking about her other projects Sunny tells us, "I have Tina And Lolo releasing this year and another very interesting project that I can't tell you the name of, but it's the story of two women on the run. I play one of them. It's a nice role with comedy, action, drama, basically the whole trappings of a typical Bollywood film. So this is going to be a busy and exciting year for me.
I credit Bigg Boss for my popularity
Sunny, better known as an adult film actor and producer, was first introduced to Indians as a contestant on the controversial show Bigg Boss Season 5 in 2011, and she credits the show for making her popular in India. "If it wasn't for Bigg Boss, I wouldn't have been known by Indians in the same manner. I think it was the greatest platform through which I could have made an entry into Bollywood. Because I was in every body's living rooms for six weeks straight at 10 o'- clock every night. They could see how I could make non-round chapaatis and cutting sabzi and doing all the housework and they just got to know my personality. I think that helped a lot with my entering into Bollywood. Because if I had come here just as Sunny and not through Bigg Boss, I think I wouldn't have accomplished what I have in such a short time."
I'm a Punjabi and we love our food
The mention of cooking makes us wonder if Sunny is the cooking at home types after she's done with work and is at home? "I cook a lot. Actually I cook all the unhealthy food at home. My husband Daniel is the one who does all the healthy cooking. I like all the comfort foods. I'm a Punjabi and we love our food! But with Daniel around it's as if I have the food FBI behind me telling me what not to eat because I have to remain in shape and diet and work out. But as actors we have too remain slender and perhaps not look normal at times just to look attractive and suffer in return," she adds with a sigh.
Daniel wants a baby girl
The question of the couple's plans to extend their family is met with a little trepidation by Daniel, who wonders why everyone asks them that question. But Sunny answers it easily and says, "We definitely want to have children at some point. Danny wants a little baby girl and I want the baby to be just healthy, whether it's a boy or a girl. But I don't know when that will be, hopefully it will be soon. Right now I don't think I can replace what's going on in my life, so you never know. I might just leave and come back with a baby one day. I might just scream 'I had a baby and nobody knew!" says she laughing out loud.
I am human after all
But even as Sunny discusses food and parenthood, she cannot shrug off the image of an adult film star. Recently singer Arijit Singh had said he was not happy with his song Kabhi Jo Badal Barse from Jackpot being picturised on Sunny. A religious outfit had also banned her entry in Indore, prohibiting her to promote her film in the city. Sunny, on her part says she is not immune to such negative news. "I don't think I believe all of these rumours because if he (Arijit) didn't want me to be featured in the song, or if he didn't know about it, why did he sing that song in Jackpot? He wouldn't have sold the song to the producers if he knew I was in it, to begin with. I mean he did sing it and he did sell it," she rationalises, and goes on to say, "I am human after all. When you hear such things it hurts. But I pick up some logic in my mind as to why people say what they do. And there's a lot that's said which isn't true, so I try not to take it to heart. I tell all my family and friends not to send me any negative articles. I ask them to send me all positive ones and I'll read that. It's easier that way."
She further adds, "It's like you're passing the traffic lights and feel people's eyeballs on you but it's fine. I understand why they are looking. So, I don't hold anything to heart and get after somebody, that why did you write this or why are you staring? It is what it is and you can't do anything about it. I guess it is better that they are writing something about you than not writing about you at all! Also hopefully one by one, day by day, each reporter I talk to, the truth about me will emerge and people will know me as I am."
The sexy image is a marketing strategy
But is she OK with how her image of an adult film star is often exploited in Bollywood? "Yes, it's a strategy that has been created for the films. But when people watch the movie Ragini MMS 2, a lot of myths will be busted. It's not just sex in the film, in fact that's a very small portion of the movie. In this film they will see my acting and their minds will hopefully be changed. When people watch me in the film in totality, then probably they will judge me based on my acting skills rather than anything else."
Sunny is now two-years-old in the industry, with Ragini MMS 2 being her third film. In all her films, she has been projected as a bold and sexy woman. But she says, that with each film offer, the perception of people in Bollywood is changing and the films that she is now being offered are more acting oriented. "I think I have more people that like me than those who don't like me. As for perceptions, I have no idea how they perceive me. I get a lot of different movie offers all the time. Even today I was reading two films' synopsis in the car..."
Sunny adds, "But what I have learned over the last two years is that it's more than just picking something based on the story or the producer or the actors. It's like a whole circle here, where your success depends on so many things. While it's completely opposite in the US. There, the actors work because they want to work. Take for instance someone like Brad Pitt who makes an independent film, which doesn't even get released in theatres, yet he is so successful and not bogged down by film offers and work. He works when he wants to. That's with all actors there. And that's all they want to do. They can make an art film, an independent film or a huge commercial hit and nobody would care."
Film production is the natural progression for my husband and me
Sunny doesn't deny the possibility of turning producer of Hindi films in future. "That's a natural progression for my husband and I. I've had my own business since I was 18 and he's got his own business since he was out of university as well, so it's a natural thing for us to do. He does say we should make a movie here and I say hold on! I think we should learn every in and out of this industry. I think we should first learn the distribution, the marketing, the finance side of production, before we step into it. Because we don't want to make a movie just to make one, we want it to be a success and make money on it. That's why producers invest money in films, to make money from it. It's a business and I want to do well in it too."
Talking about her other projects Sunny tells us, "I have Tina And Lolo releasing this year and another very interesting project that I can't tell you the name of, but it's the story of two women on the run. I play one of them. It's a nice role with comedy, action, drama, basically the whole trappings of a typical Bollywood film. So this is going to be a busy and exciting year for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment