Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 15, 2018)

It was in November 2011 that Sunny Leone came to India to participate in a reality show, which eventually changed the dynamics of her career in the movie industry. The show landed her a film and since then, she hasn’t quite looked back. Today, she has made a home in Mumbai, has three kids and earmarked a space for herself in showbiz. In her words, “I said ‘yes’ to jobs that people weren’t easily saying yes to. Hopefully, my diligence has made it clear that I am here to stay.” The actress spoke to BT about her journey so far, and what lies ahead. Excerpts...

She packed her bags and moved to Mumbai seven years ago. Talking about how she has made this city her home, Sunny says, “I just wanted to be here completely. The difference in approach stems from whether you came here by force or by choice. It was the latter for Daniel (her husband) and me. This is the only place in the world where I could make my dreams come true. This is where I want to work. Of course, this wasn’t the feeling initially when I came here.

It was during the promotions of Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2 (2012) at a mall, where I saw a sea of humanity and I was told that they had come to get a glimpse of me. I felt, ‘Woah! This feels great!’ I wanted to cry because it hadn’t ever happened to me before. An older gentleman, at that time, had told me, ‘Sunny, you have to be either here and in it all the way, or you’re not in it at all.’ That, I thought, was good advice and soon, Daniel and I got our own place and began to look at the offers that were coming my way. We decided that we’ll stay back, be professional and consistent with our work, and the rest will follow. I don’t know whether every choice that I made was great or not, but it’s got me where I am today. Seven years ago, I couldn’t have imagined being in this space. Good, bad or ugly, things happen everywhere. I said ‘yes’ to jobs that people weren’t easily saying yes to. Hopefully, my diligence has made it clear that I am here to stay.”

‘THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VOLATILE, HATEFUL AND HAVE FILED CASES AGAINST ME. THEY HAVE EVEN THREATENED DANIEL AND ME. I WANTED TO PROTECT MYSELF BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE…’
As much as she loves Mumbai and the movies, it took some time for Sunny to settle into this industry and get a grip of her life here. Introspecting her journey so far, she says, “Look, at the end of the day, I am still a guest in this country. There are people who have been volatile, hateful and have filed cases against me. They have even threatened Daniel and me. I wanted to protect myself before anything else. So, it took me a while to speak freely about myself. Gradually, people have become used to the idea that I am going to be here. It just takes time to express yourself; especially because I wasn’t born and raised here. I went into a shell, because once, I was blatantly attacked on national television in a live telecast and was being blamed for issues that had nothing to do with me. Things are fine now.

‘THE SONG BABY DOLL CHANGED THE DYNAMICS OF MY CAREER. WITHOUT THAT SONG, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D BE DOING TODAY’
While she started off playing the part of a leading, she gradually moved into a space, once inhabited by actresses like Helen and Bindu in the 1970s. Bring that up and Sunny continues, “Of course, I would like to be part of a film that has amazing content and a good role for me. But I love the songs that I have danced to. I grew up watching songs, and I don’t know why people see the song-and-dance role as negative thing. It’s good work on the table. The song Baby Doll changed the dynamics of my career. Without that song, I don’t know what I’d be doing today. I would probably be struggling to find some work. I had no direction when I came here. I had no clue of what was going on. I had planned to stay here for two weeks and then, just head back home (in the US). But I stayed on for seven years and it was all so organic. I have auditioned for parts and it’s been a great learning curve. I’ve figured that I rather do a small part in a big significant film, than shoulder an entire film on my own, which has a story that’s gone wrong. It doesn’t sell well and looks awful when put out there.

‘IF EVERYONE WORE TURTLENECKS AND LOOSE CLOTHES IN FILMS ALL THE TIME, NO ONE WOULD WATCH FILMS’
It’s often hard for artistes to break out of a glamourous reel image of themselves and tell the world who they really are. When asked if she has ever felt the need to break out of the image of a screen-scorcher, Sunny explains, “One of the most amazing things about celebrities and the reason why most people follow them is their appearance. They’re hot and sexy people. Would I want to break out of that image? Well, I just want to be me. I remember one of first videos that I saw on my phone while searching for something online was one with Hrithik Roshan dancing to a song. It made me want to see the whole video. So, obviously I am attracted to watch it because he’s a great dancer and he looks great. That’s what it is for most people. Some of these actresses look so beautiful and they’re great at putting their looks together. There’s nothing wrong in looking hot or being perceived that way. If everyone wore turtlenecks and loose clothes in films all the time, no one would watch films. We tend to get attracted to everything that looks good and is absent in our lives in some manner.”

It has been a little over seven years since Sunny broke on to the movie marquee. While one still finds ways to penetrate the work space, it takes a while for one to be comfortable socialising with colleagues. The actress admits, “I don’t go to many parties, because I feel awkward. I am a socially-awkward person. So, if I go to a party, I have to find my own corner and hangout there. It’s hard for people to believe that I am really shy and reserved. I can’t walk into a room full of people who I don’t know and feel at ease right away. I am trying to change that about me, but it’s going to take a while. I am not snooty; once I am introduced to someone, I just take my time to get comfortable.”

‘THERE IS A GROUP OF INDIAN ACTORS WHO ARE LIKE THAT MICKEY MOUSE CLUB AND I AM THAT CLUB GONE WRONG. I AM NEVER GOING TO BE ON THAT SIDE OF THE FENCE, BUT I AM HAPPY BEING MY OWN PERSON AND DOING WHAT I LIKE ON MY TERMS’
Being in the Hindi film industry has its own requirements. One of them is command over the language. Over the years, several actresses from foreign countries have not only made Mumbai their home but have also picked the ropes of the language while dabbling in different kinds of roles. Talking about being comfortable speaking in Hindi, Sunny says, “I always understood Hindi and Punjabi, but people around me didn’t speak these languages as much during my growing up years. So, I have an American accent while speaking in Hindi. Even today, I still get that ‘Oh! You speak Hindi’ look. I work in Hindi films, so isn’t that obvious that I should be speaking Hindi? It’s irritating at times to see that people think this way, but it’s their imagery of who I am. I know that I am still working my way up in their minds. The thing is it’s difficult to fight perceptions. The thing is that I am the one who created that perception about me, so I can’t judge people for holding on to that. Does it benefit me? At times it does. There is a group of Indian actors who are like that Mickey Mouse club and I am that club gone wrong. I am never going to be on that side of the fence, but I am happy being my own person and doing what I like on my terms. If it doesn’t come to me, I will find ways to do it on my own.”