Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 13, 2019)

Life has come a full circle for Sunny Leone who shot to Bollywood fame courtesy her Baby Doll act in Ragini MMS 2 (2014). The actor will be making a special appearance in the second season of the ALT Balaji web series, Ragini MMS Returns, which stars Varun Sood and Divya Agarwal. Leone will feature in a dance number titled Hello Ji, composed by Meet Bros.

Confirming the news, she says, "The song has been mounted on a large scale as the makers want to blow this one out of the park. Over the last few years, Ekta [Kapoor, producer] and I were planning to collaborate on something. When I met her recently, she suggested that I do this song. She has put in a lot of effort into creating this track." Knowing that comparisons with her dance numbers are inevitable, Leone adds, "Vishnu Deva [choreographer] and I have [taken efforts to] make sure that it is different from what I have done in the past."

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 23, 2017)

The makers of Ragini MMS were in for a rude shock last week when an intimate scene featuring Karishma Sharma, one of the leads of the web series, was leaked online. Realising that it forms a crucial part of the narrative, producer Ekta Kapoor decided to have the sequence reshot. Not just that, the reshoot came with a rider -- it would be shot with an all-female crew.

A source close to the production house reveals, "It was a production call. Since it is a sex scene, Ekta thought it best to have an all-women crew. That way, the artistes would feel more comfortable. She was also clear that no mobile phones would be allowed inside the studio."

The shoot took place at Film City in Goregaon on Thursday. While the series is helmed by Ken Ghosh, the scene in question was directed by one of his first assistant directors. Confirming the development, Ghosh tells mid-day, "We had several rehearsals before the sequence was filmed. There was a complete lockdown when it was being shot. We did everything to ensure that the environment for the girls was as comfortable as possible."

Ghosh adds that the legal team at Balaji is looking into the matter of the leak. "They are trying to track down the source. The production house is doing their best to ensure this doesn't happen again. It was disturbing for all of us, especially the actors." The series also stars Siddharth Gupta and Riya Sen.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 25, 2017)

Having made her Bollywood debut in 2012, Sunny Leone hit box-office gold only two years later with Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS 2 (2014). So, it was only fitting that the actor be associated with the producer’s web series, Ragini MMS Returns, in some way. Or at least, Kapoor thought so.

We hear Kapoor was keen on her attending one of the promotional events slated for this week. But, the actor bowed out, citing prior commitments — a move that hasn’t gone down too well with the TV czarina.

Says a source close to the development, “ Ekta thought Sunny’s attendance would add glam value to the show and get people talking about it. However, Sunny wasn’t available on the required dates. She is leaving tonight for Los Angeles for the next two months. She wants to look into the functioning of her production house there.”

This isn’t the first time the actor has turned her mentor down. Leone was apparently also approached for a cameo on the show earlier, which she had politely declined. A Balaji insider informs, “Sunny’s decision irked Ekta. Ragini MMS 2 was a landmark film in her career. She should have accommodated the project for the sake of loyalty towards Ekta.”

While hushed whispers in industry circles suggest a fallout between the two, sources close to the actor assert that their relationship goes beyond professional collaborations. “Sunny would have been more than happy to promote Ragini MMS Returns, but is unfortunately not available on those dates. Ekta’s team understood that completely. There is no bitterness between them. In fact, Sunny is considering collaborating with them on a show and is already in talks with them.”

Both Leone and Kapoor remained unavailable for comment.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; September 20, 2017)

A report put out by a website claiming that a newbie had been “sexually harassed” by Riya Sen, while shooting for Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS Returns, has caused embarrassment to the young actor Nishant Malkani.

He says, “We were shooting a bedroom sequence where we had to get intimate. In the bid to make it as real as possible we were both improvising. Riya pulled my trackpants down, and that too just a bit.” This is where the scandal erupted.

Says Malkani, “I was stunned with all the reports of Riya sexually harassing me. For God’s sake, I would know if I was sexually harassed. And I am man enough to own up to it if it happened. It is ridiculous to even suggest that Riya took advantage of me. If she pulled my pants down she did it for the scene. I am okay with it. She’s okay with it. Her husband is okay with it. Then who are these people shouting about sexual harassment?”

Malkani feels reports on sexual violation need to be more responsible. “Sexual harassment is a very serious matter. Please don’t trivialise it by using it for sensational headlines. Man or woman, it is equally important to come forward if you are sexually harassed. And I don’t think my mardaangi would be challenged if I owned up to being harassed.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 12, 2017)

Requesting that explicit content be muted in an adult film may seem ludicrous, but Riya Sen, close on the heels of her wedding last month, has approached the makers of Ragini MMS Returns with a request of similar nature.

Sen, who tied the knot with long-time beau Shivam Tewari in an intimate ceremony, "had reservations" about certain scenes in the third instalment of Ekta Kapoor's horror sex franchise, which sees her in a prominent role.

Talking about the show that will release on Kapoor's digital platform Alt Balaji, a unit hand says, "Riya, who essays the pivotal role of Simran in the show knew that the series would involve intimate scenes featuring her and co-star Nishant Malkani. They were meant to be explicit, but Riya was uncomfortable while filming them." The actor, the source adds, raised her concerns with director Suyash Vadhavkar, who keeps his cast's comfort in mind. "He toned down the intimate scene and shot it aesthetically. Although Riya has done a fair share of steamy roles, she wasn't at ease this time since she is now married."

Sen confirms the news to mid-day, saying, "I had reservations while shooting the intimate scenes and convinced Suyash to tone them down."

Given that this series will exploit the horror genre more than the sexual content, abiding by Sen's request wasn't difficult, the source says. "The director worked his way around with cheat shots."