Rajeev Chaudhari, producer of Beiimaan Love wonders why she was ‘partial’ to his film
Upala KBR (DNA; October 29, 2016)

There has been incessant buzz about Sunny Leone’s tantrums on the sets of her upcoming films. Her latest film Beiimaan Love has suffered losses and if producer Rajeev Chaudhari kept quiet till now it’s only because he was waiting for the film to release. She has not even promoted the film. Now Chaudhuri recounts the experience and the hell Sunny and her husband Daniel Weber put him through...

How was the experience of working with Sunny Leone?
It was a bad experience. It was not business that I did because after you sign someone as an artiste with a huge signing amount, you expect dates from her within a period of six months and then you roll and release the film. Of her Rs 2 crore fee, she was paid a quarter as a signing amount. I got limited dates from Sunny after one year and three months. I signed her in early 2014 and we started shooting from July 2015. I had to pay interest on the money. I had to wait a long time for her dates as she had given them away to other films and was busy with long holidays and shows.

Is it true you found it tough to cast a good hero opposite her?
Yes. The heroes I wanted to sign on, all liked the script, but when they heard Sunny was the actress they shied away. Akshay Oberoi was my first choice, but he had some problem with Sunny. He said if I took any any other heroine besides her, he would do it. Actors like Freddy Daruwala and Kartik Aaryan also turned me down because they did not want to act with Sunny. After a year of struggle, when I told Daniel about it, he recommended Rajniesh Duggall.

Did she throw a lot of tantrums on the set while shooting with regards to costumes and scenes?
Yes, it was very tough to shoot with her after the film went on floors. Her conditions were no kissing, no intimacy and no lingerie though she had committed to it before we started shooting. Sunny suddenly wanted to turn sanskari naari!

Right from the first day of shoot till the last shot, she and Daniel had issues. We had to cut parts of the song Main Adhoora too. I don’t know why they did this, but it hit me badly in business. Macau’s Studio City had agreed to sponsor us for the shoot and I had cracked the deal. Just a few days before we left for Macau, I got an email saying it’s not fitting with their image, so they are cancelling our shoot. I am assuming they didn’t know who Sunny was, when they agreed earlier.

What about editing out scenes?
I had to cut off two bedroom scenes because Daniel said she wouldn’t shoot them, though they were to be were aesthetically shot. They wanted to do the bedroom scene in the kitchen! Post Mastizaade, they had decided that the skin show is over. After the film, they became very strict and Daniel would send me emails specifying what she wouldn’t do. I am not a big corporate house. As an individual producer, I could not fight. Where would I go to fight in court? So I bowed to their wishes and completed the film. Though the bedroom scenes involved some lovemaking, they didn’t have much exposure. They got upset so we had to chop off those scenes which would have brought me money from the single screen theatres. I really slogged hard on this film but these people didn’t cooperate...

Did you recover the money made?
Not yet, as I am still struggling, though I may get some from satellite rights. Sunny wanted to use this film to revamp her image as it showed her as a businesswoman but we have to cater to the masses too. I wanted her to look classy like a good, mainstream heroine and yet not deprive the masses of her dose. I could have made good money but they ditched me. Sunny was a miscast. I regret signing her as she’s not clicking with multiplexes or the single screen theatres. It’s unfair what happened. I paid Sunny her fee. If she wanted to do art cinema, she should ask for that price. If you have given everything to films like Mastizaade, why this partiality towards me?

Is it true that her husband interferes a lot too?
He is the captain of all this. He would see my rushes and asked me cut this or that scene saying there’s too much exposure. Daniel is very interfering as he would be sending the emails.

FILMS RELEASING TOMORROW TO FACE TOUGH TIME!

We have often seen multiple small-budget films releasing together and facing a tough time. Something similar is going to happen tomorrow and at the same time, it’s going to be an exception. Some 6 films will release tomorrow and the awareness for these movies is so low that reports of shows getting cancelled in the weekend itself is going to happen. A brief analysis of these films:

SAAT UCHHAKKEY: The film boasts of an impressive cast – Manoj Bajpayee, Kay Kay Menon, Anupam Kher, Vijay Raaz and Annu Kapoor. It is produced by Neeraj Pandey’s partner Shital Bhatia and it has been ready since a long time. But since it has abuses, it faced problems at the Censors, expectedly. This can be a fun film but awareness is hardly there.

BEIIMAAN LOVE: It stars Sunny Leone and Rajniesh Duggall. Just like the recent Sunny Leone’s releases, the excitement for this film is hardly there. Even the music has not caught on.

ANNA: This is a biopic of the very popular Anna Hazare. Shashank Udapurkar, the director of the film is also the lead. He does look like Anna but at the same time, since he’s not a popular face and the trailer hasn’t made a mark, the buzz is hardly there.

LOVE DAY: The film stars Bigg Boss sensation Ajaz Khan. The title of the film has double connotations and yet, the youth is hardly excited to buy the ticket and watch the film.

FUDDU: The film has been in the making since close to 2 years. More than the film and it’s plot, it’s the songs done by Sunny Leone and Gauahar Khan that have made waves.

MOTU PATLU – KING OF KINGS: This is a popular series for kids and the makers have released it at a time when the Diwali vacations have just commenced or are about to start. But the animation is sub-standard, especially when compared to the films churned out by Hollywood. Hence, it’s difficult to say if viewers will buy expensive multiplex 3D ticket and come in hordes to see the film.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET US KNOW!

Only M S Dhoni - The Untold Story will be arriving on the big screen this Friday. Though earlier there were indications that Sunny Leone’s Beiimaan Love will be releasing on the same day, those plans have now been quashed
DNA (September 27, 2016)


“Sunny’s last hit was Ragini MMS 2 (2014) and ever since then she has delivered flops in the form of Ek Paheli Leela, Kuch Kuch Locha Hai, Mastizaade and One Night Stand. Her Tina and Lolo is stuck for a long time. She needs a Box Office success badly and to arrive alongside the Sushant Singh Rajput starrer would have been professional harakiri,” our trade expert adds.

It remains to be seen if the makers of Beiimaan Love will now make use of the three weeks available to them and pitch the film correctly. For Sunny’s fans there is a double treat awaiting on October 14. A non-starcast affair Fuddu releases on the same day and the film (again a delayed affair) features her special song appearance (Tu Zaroorat Nahi Tu Zaroori Hai) with Sharman Joshi.

Upala KBR (DNA; July 14, 2016)


The director-producer of Beiimaan Love Rajeev Chaudhuri says they are not scared of competition. “I know Akira’s releasing the same day, but Sunny has her own audience and is very popular as a heroine. If you see her track record, you will see she pulls in a good initial draw at the box-office. More than me, they should get scared. While I won’t comment on someone else’s film, I know our film is attracting curiosity. While Sunny will be seen in a brand new avatar in Beiimaan Love and fights for the upliftment of women, Akira is more action-oriented. It’s about Sunny’s transition from a working girl to a business tycoon and will teach one to fall in love with their careers and not emotions. She will be seen in her hot avatar too but it will be shown aesthetically. She has performed as well as a Priyanka Chopra or Kareena Kapoor Khan,” he says.

BOMBAY TIMES (June 17, 2016)

DNA (June 13, 2016)

Sunny Leone’s husband Daniel Weber has done cameos in Jackpot and Ek Paheli Leela, it is now learnt that he will be seen in a full-fledged role in Beiimaan Love. This is the first time that the married couple will be romance each other in the film. Says a source, “It was to be a cameo but his role got extended. The makers loved Sunny and his great chemistry on screen and felt his role should get bigger.”

DNA (December 20, 2015)

Sunny Leone has six lovemaking scenes in Beiimaan Love, with co-star Rajniesh Duggall. However the director isn’t apprehensive of the censor’s scissors. “Those six love making scenes are as a montage in one love song. Sunny and Rajniesh have an amazing chemistry. They actually look like they are in love! The spirit of the song is pure love and will be loved and appreciated by all, including the censors! I am sure the censors won’t cut anything in my film!” Now that’s what we call wishful thinking!

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2015)

A good start and a lull later, model turned actor Rajniesh Duggall suddenly seems to be right amidst the action. With multiple films on floors, he should be looking at a rather exciting 2016
Noyon Jyoti Parasara (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2015)