Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 12, 2019)

She has made headlines ever since she entered Bollywood. Everything actor Sunny Leone touched became a talking point, as proved by her films such as Ragini MMS 2 (2014), and special songs including Laila Tujhe (Shootout At Wadala; 2013) and Laila Main Laila (Raees; 2017). So it’s no surprise that she figures among the most searched celebs on the internet. Sunny, who has featured in many such lists in the past, speaks about her latest achievement and more.

You have emerged as the most searched female celeb of 2019 according to a search engine. You have been a constant in such lists over the past years. What’s your reaction to this achievement?
Well, it’s definitely an honour that my fans are so supportive. It’s a reminder every year that they really are the fuel to my fire. I love them as much as they might love me. They are there forever.

How would you define ‘popularity’ in today’s time, with social media taking precedence? Is there also a sense of pressure to stand out from the crowd, since everything goes viral in no time?
I love the place the industry is in now. It’s purely based on talent and the ability to be well-rounded in entertainment as a whole. Daniel (Weber; husband) and I along with my entire team have been working on this balancing act for years. It has been great to be creative in many fields. So, for us the pressure is a good pressure and gets us all creatively working together.

Your husband tweeted about your ‘most-searched celeb’ achievement, and wrote ‘The true power of her brand’. What would you like to say?
I will just say my husband is the greatest man I’ve met! He is so intelligent and so great in business. We are a great team, but he really is the backbone of brand ‘Sunny Leone’.

We haven’t seen you in a full fledged role in any film in 2019. Are you purposely slowing down on work?
I have had one of the busiest years ever working... what I call the ‘working year’. This year is a set up for next year. So many amazing things are happening!