Sunny Leone is a name and a face familiar to millions in our country. So it may come as a bit of a surprise when the actor confesses that she has had to face rejections, too. The actor says, “Everybody has to face rejections. It affects your day, but then there’s always tomorrow. You will have something else going on. If someone’s not giving it to you, you go out and get it. How else are you going to satisfy yourself and your career?”

The 41-year-old has a dedicated fan following, but when it comes to brands, it’s a different story. Leone reveals they shy away from roping her in to endorse them. “There’s no makeup brand in India which would put me in their ad film. That hurts. You are like ‘I can be just as good as they [other brand ambassadors] are’. So, [if a] clothing brand won’t give you clothes to wear at an event because they are saying you are not big enough for them, then what do you do? You create one — I created my own makeup line and clothing brand. They are mine. It’s really just about saying, ‘You know what? Buzz off! I will just create it and make it all about how I want the world to view my brand’,” adds the actor.

And what happens when the roles get reversed, and she is the one turning down a project she didn’t like? Does that not bruise egos? “Some people think when you sign a film, it’s just one yes, but you say yes to so many different things... They have to happen before you even reach the set. I am talking about the business side of things; your contract, the money, the stylist, the hair and makeup person, and what’s required of you. That’s how it is, at least for me. There are a lot of things we say no to, and it hurts their feelings probably. But there have been times when I have been rejected for certain projects that I wished to be a part of,” she shares.