Actor Shehzad, popularly known by his surname Shaikh, is in fact a Babi by lineage. Yesteryears’ star Parveen Babi is his step-grandmother—a detail he calls “incidental” rather than defining, insisting his journey is shaped by persistence, not privilege. “I am a nepo kid, but that’s not how I wanted to be known,” says the actor, currently shooting for Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan in Chandigarh, in a conversation with us. Excerpts:

I grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to India for higher studies, graduating in hospitality with a top-paying job. Though I always wanted to act, coming from a family of lawyers, I never expressed it openly. After a stint at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, I moved to Gujarat to start an energy-saving business, but it shut down. I then worked as a stockbroker until the market crash, followed by a brief stint as cabin crew when the airline also shut down—forcing me to rethink my path.

My neighbour, actor Nawab Shah, once challenged me to prove my interest in acting by giving me a contact number. I took it seriously, dressed in a suit, introduced myself as offering “acting services,” and began auditioning. Eventually, I got a call from a casting director to play lead in an episodic in Savdhaan India. I started from the bottom — no contacts, no connections and did episodic like Savdhaan India, Adaalat, Gumrah, and similar formats.

I got my first big break with the Qubool Hai. After that, I did a film which was a great learning experience, but I ended up spending two years on that project, which slowed my career. That’s when I realized that films and web series weren’t always viable from a business perspective for me at that stage. So, I decided to return to TV and came back with Bepannaah, followed by Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.

Around the same time, Vikram Bhatt cast me in a web series Anamika, with Sunny Leone. He offered me another film, 1920: Horrors Of The Heart, but my first producer, Gul Khan felt I was ready for a full-fledged lead role on TV. I respected that, apologized to Vikram sir, and quit the film shoot to do Sindoor Ki Keemat as lead.

After that, I did Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali, which also performed very well, especially in North India. Then last year, I experimented with a limited-series format—Zyada Mat Udd.

See, I realized early that television is my bread and butter. It gives you daily visibility, you enter people’s homes every night, which no other medium offers at this scale. By doing films, my visibility is once or twice a year. But through TV, I am in your homes every day, you can’t ignore me (laughs).

Every film finds a home, and Sunny Leone’s Kennedy has found one after a three-year wait. Director Anurag Kashyap’s neo-noir crime thriller is set to premiere on ZEE5 next week, and the actor can’t wait to see the audience’s response to it. After all, Leone considers Kennedy an opportunity of a lifetime. She remembers going into the shoot, eager to be moulded by Kashyap into her character Charlie. Oddly, that included mastering a peculiar laugh.

Recalling Kashyap’s strange demand from her, Leone said, “Anurag sir sent me reference videos of how Charlie’s laugh should be. I saw the videos and thought, ‘How am I going to do this?’ Then I started practising laughing everywhere I went — in the plane, in the car, even mid-conversation with somebody! I remember I was on the set of a song, dressed in glamorous clothes, with 100 dancers around me, and I was practising my laugh!”

That naturally makes us curious about who featured in the reference videos. But Leone isn’t one to spill the details. She teased, “I’ll give you a hint. The reference video was of two beautiful, amazing actresses in Bollywood. [Their] laugh is loud and unabashed, comes straight from the gut and the heart.”

Unabashed is also how many would describe Kashyap. But the actor, who worked for the first time with the director, asserted that he is different from his public image. “We look at his films or an interview and have a perception, but that is not what you get when you meet him. 

He is warm. He is like a big teddy bear, and so easy to work with. He makes you feel heard, seen, and values your opinions.”

Karan Kundrra has often spoken candidly about love and on Valentine's Day as he talks about his relationship with Tejasswi Prakash, there’s an unmistakable sense of certainty and comfort. Looking back at how their bond began, Karan shared that neither of them had anticipated where their journey would lead. “When we met each other, we didn’t know that we would be together, that we would date and fall in love,” he said, adding that despite the years gone by, the feelings remain unchanged.

Karan and Tejasswi met on Bigg Boss 15, where their friendship slowly turned into love amid the pressures of the reality show. Reflecting on what makes their relationship work, Karan said, “I still look at her and I’m like, yeh kya ladki hai. She is still the same girl that I met. Every day something happens and I am reminded why I fell in love with her. We fell in love for the right reasons. We still have the same amount of fun, and we still like doing similar things together.”

Having spent four years together, including sharing the intense experience of reality television, Karan believes that understanding each other’s emotional rhythms has been key. “She understands my mood. I know kab yeh phatne wali hai. I know when she is comfortable and when she is not,” he said. “When you’ve done a reality show together, you’ve seen the extreme sides of each other.”

Interestingly, Karan also finds inspiration in long-term relationships around him. Like his Splitsvilla X6: Pyaar Ya Paisa co-host Sunny Leone, and her husband Daniel Weber. He shares, “When I see Daniel and Sunny together, it makes me feel that I want to be somebody like that for my girlfriend.”

Watching them as parents has had a deep impact on him. “Ab meri woh stage ho gayi hai jahan main dekh raha hoon how they are with their kids. You keep getting inspired,” he added.

In 2023, Sunny Leone added an Anurag Kashyap film to her résumé with Kennedy. Now, she is teaming up with Kashyap’s frequent collaborator and another heavyweight, Vikramaditya Motwane. Earlier this month, Leone and her husband Daniel Weber announced that they are co-producing a biopic with Motwane’s Andolan Films. While the biopic’s subject has been kept under wraps, Leone’s production house Suncity is said to have acquired the rights to the real-life story.

Talking to mid-day about the in-the-works web series, Leone says that the story left her “inspired”. “This story felt unique to me, and it had the scope to be adapted into a web series. From a producer’s standpoint, I felt it would be gripping for the audience to watch the depth and scale of this story,” she says.

Confident that she wanted to bring this real-life story to the screen, Leone next wanted to rope in a storyteller who could further elevate the material. Enter Motwane. “We met several times over the past year to discuss different ideas. When we discovered this biopic, we felt Vikram would connect with it as well. We were all captivated when we heard it. The story is so dynamic and gripping that you’ll be surprised it’s true.”

With Motwane at the helm, will she headline the series? “We can’t say that yet. Right now, production is the focus. We have several great stories in our mind,” says Leone, as Weber adds that they want to develop it as an international web series. He shares, “We are at the beginning. The only challenges so far have been agreements. There will be much more starting now. We’re looking at this as a global project.”

Every so often, Reels turn classic tunes into an internet phenomenon, years after they were first released.

The latest in this list of tracks is Pink Lips from 2014’s Hate Story 2, as fans recreate actor Sunny Leone’s hook step. Ask about this revived interest that comes 11 years on and Sunny admits that it took her by surprise. “I had no idea about it until my manager said, ‘Pink Lips is everywhere right now’. After I found out, I went on Instagram and saw some clips; it was so exciting,” she tells us.

The 44-year-old, who joined in on the trend with a dance video of her own, adds, “When we shot it, I never thought it’d go viral like this. I’m happy it’s on everybody’s playlist again.”

Having done several hit dance numbers including Baby Doll (Ragini MMS, 2014) and Laila (Shootout At Wadala, 2013), the actor says it feels good that these songs are still being played. However, she notes a shift in how film songs are promoted today.

“When I first came into the industry, there was huge momentum behind song releases. An entire film could ride on one song. Now, good songs don’t stick. I’d love for the time when people would get excited about film music and go enjoy it in theatres to come back,” she ends.

Facing scrutiny for their fashion choices isn’t new to actors, and for Sunny Leone, the fashion policing begins right at home. The actress shares that her sons, Asher and Noah, are her biggest fashion critics. 

“My kids don’t usually say much about what I wear unless I step out in a low-cut gown. Then my boys turn into mini fashion police and say, ‘Mom, I don’t think I like this outfit and why is mom dressed like that?’ What really throws them off, though, is when I go full glam with smokey eyes. They say, ‘Why are you wearing so much makeup, mom?’ It’s adorable because they’re used to seeing me in my mom-mode, not red-carpet-ready. But every time I ask, ‘Do I look pretty?’ they say, ‘Yes, of course!’ I don’t think they’ll ever say no (laughs).” Sunny adds that her daughter Nisha is the most chilled-out one.

Ask her who’s the most stylish among her kids, and she replies, “That’s definitely Noah! He walks out fully coordinated — socks, matching shoes, tops, pants and accessories. He styles his look with jackets and hats, too. He even has this cool new haircut. Honestly, he’s one kid who never needs help getting dressed, he’s got it all figured out.”

Sunny Leone stormed into the Indian showbiz scene 14 years ago, and ever since, the actress has created a splash with her dance numbers, hosted reality shows and also featured in Bollywood and South films. In a chat with us, she recalls her early days here when she faced rejection, how she changed the narrative and navigated through the industry despite coming from an unconventional background. Excerpts:

Recounting the time when she decided to make her foray into the Indian entertainment business, Sunny says, “I was nervous because when I was contemplating participating in Bigg Boss, there were a lot of internal discussions. I was facing a lot of rejection and backlash. There were also various hate groups who were against me. I was scheduled to make my entry at the start of the show, but I came in as a wildcard entry because of the backlash. Witnessing all that, I wondered if I had made the right choice. But eventually, I got a lot of love from the audience and I wasn’t expecting that.”

The reality show was a launch pad for Sunny, who made her Bollywood debut with Jism 2 (2012) and followed it up with films like Ragini MMS 2 (2014), Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Mastizaade (2016). 

Talking about what she learned from her journey, Sunny says, “What I have learnt is to keep working and ignore the nonsense and noise around you. We have to be persistent no matter what. There have been some scary moments, but some amazing ones, too. I’m a lot more comfortable with myself now.”

Elaborating on how her unorthodox beginnings made it harder for her to navigate through the industry, she explains, “The industry, as we know, is very fraternal. So, if you stick around long enough, work hard and keep reminding them about your existence, then you will continue to get work. I can’t help the background that I come from and the choices that I’ve made in my life. I do believe that if I’m cast in a project, I bring my own fan following and that does add value to it.”

In recent times, Sunny has been playing prominent parts in films like Kennedy, Quotation Gang and Shiro, which is something she has always desired. However, she hasn’t been seen in any special songs in Bollywood movies lately.

Ask her if she misses performing to hit tracks, and she replies, “Of course, I do. When I danced to hit tracks in some of these movies, the songs really fuelled the film. The film was great, but then the song lifted it. I don’t think that happens as much anymore. Today, the music, sets and choreography are great, but I don’t feel the impact is the same. I’m just happy that I got a chance to be part of songs that are still so popular.”

Highlighting the importance of social media in a celebrity’s life, she shares, “Building yourself on social media is extremely important. If you love to dance or show off your art and talent, just keep doing that because that gives you that extra edge when you walk into an audition. You can say, ‘I can add brand value to your project because I have a social media following.’ Every producer, director and even brands are going to see that. Today, social media is a part of every contract you sign as an artiste, so you can’t ignore it.”

I’m so surprised,” was Sunny Leone’s opening remark, as we got on a call with her an hour after Donald Trump was elected as the 47th President of the United States of America. Trump, who served as the US President from 2017 to 2021, had something of a landslide victory this time, way ahead of Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

What will Trump’s second term be like? When we posed the question to Leone, arguably India’s most famous US citizen, she chose to be optimistic. “I think he’ll be a little less aggressive in how he speaks. He will still be funny and witty, but I think he cares about America doing well in every aspect,” she said.

Daniel Weber, Leone’s entrepreneur-husband, stated that Trump’s master-stroke was that he promised policies that were people- and America-centric. “He is selling lower taxes, especially corporate taxes. Immigration was his number one [priority]; he wants [tighter] immigration policy. Lowering crime is a big [agenda], [as is] ending foreign wars. In the last two years, we have seen big conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel with Hezbollah and Hamas. During his first term, there were no wars. That’s a big thing he was running on—that he will hopefully put an end to the wars,” said Weber.

Chiming in, Leone recounted that during his last term, Trump brought US troops stationed in Afghanistan back home. “I remember how happy people were, that they were finally not having to be on the frontlines or in dangerous areas. The [soldiers’] families were extremely happy. Even though American soldiers aren’t on the battlefields, we have the Navy and US soldiers in supporting roles in so many places all over the world. They should be brought home, and the conflicts should be ended with some resolution. That was a big agenda of Trump.”

But Trump 2.0 comes with some older problems. Leone pointed out, “I think his biggest issue is his mouth. He is his own worst enemy. Sometimes, you just don’t know what he is going to say. I think if he keeps himself calm, chooses his words wisely and [follows] decorum, he will be able to leave with a different legacy after four years.”

She is also hopeful that the President-elect will focus on women’s healthcare during his term. With his victory, the future of abortion rights in the US faces uncertainty. She said, “He will have to deal with a lot of backlash amongst women and young people when it comes to his policies on women’s healthcare, pregnancy and abortion. He will have to reach out [to his detractors] in some manner so that everyone or the majority is happy with his policies. When he left [after his last term], there was so much hatred towards him. But he has obviously gained a lot of support over the last four years. I think if he is open-minded to certain policies, he will gain so much more love.”

Many feel that this has been one of the most polarizing US elections in a long time. Polarising or not, Leone lauded Harris for holding her ground and giving Trump a tough fight.

“She had a tough road ahead of her. She put in the work, trying her very best. She was fighting a gigantic wall that has been put on for years. I think she fought well, but her campaign lacked some sort of a zing. Trump has been campaigning for eight years, if you really think about it, and she, for 110 days. How can you compete with that? That time frame not enough to create a strong voter base,” the actor emphasized.

A prominent conversation on X, after the elections, was that the average American doesn’t want a female president. Does Weber think it’s true? “It hasn’t happened in America, but it has happened in many other places. It happened in Italy,” said Weber, adding, “I don’t even vote for a party, let alone gender. I have voted Democrat before, and I have voted Republican. For me, it’s about the candidate.” 

Leone echoed his sentiments, saying, “America is definitely ready for a female president. It’s about the right person, the right time; plus, the people that are backing her up have to make it about America, not about themselves. The Republicans have two or three women that will be phenomenal candidates. You’ll see them in the years to come.”

What is the most pressing issue for an average American today that the new President needs to address? According to Weber, it boils down to one need. “Does it cost me more to put food on my table and pay my bills? That is every citizen’s pressing issue. Borders, wars, trade or anything [are secondary]; the first thing is, at the end of the day, is it too expensive for me to feed my family, send my kids to school, and make my day-to-day living?”

Leone added, “Over the last four years, there were so much [funds] given to illegal immigrants. That was taxpayers’ money. I think that hurt a lot of people. So, I believe every country should have great immigration policies, where anybody and everybody can apply to go to that country. We both come from immigrant families. If it wasn’t for those policies, I wouldn’t be an American citizen. But everything should be done at fair pay. I pay taxes like every other American does. Personally, I don’t think don’t think it’s fair that [illegal immigration] is taking away from other US citizens; the government is responsible for its citizens. There should be aid given to anybody who needs it, but there must be a system.”

Sunny Leone began her career in the Indian film industry with Jism 2 (2012), and later was seen in a number of songs in Hindi as well as South films. In the wake of the #MeToo Movement in the Malayalam film industry, following the Hema Committee Report, the actress shares her thoughts on how she believes women in the film industry need to speak up instead of suffering in silence and how she dealt with unpleasant situations.

Sunny feels it is important to raise an alarm and be a part of movements like #MeToo. She says, “You must speak up because if you don’t, then it will keep going on and on. And what if somebody does something extremely horrible to someone because you didn’t speak up? What if a life could have been saved? In a moment, a woman’s life can change. And it changes forever. And it’s not just her own, but her entire family’s life at stake. So, if you are going through a moment like this, speak up. We can always find another job, but we can’t deal with trauma like this.”

Ask Sunny whether she has faced any unpleasant situations, especially at the beginning of her career in India, and she replies, “Because of my background and how I entered the industry, I always had that shield around me.” The actress also credits her husband, Daniel Weber, for standing by her.

“My husband has been like a little angel on my shoulder so far in my career. He filters things before they reach me. Yet, did I meet people who gave me the heebie-jeebies? Yes, of course. I think whether you’re a man or a woman, you find these people that give you the creeps. But I have been very headstrong and always given people the don’t-mess-with-me vibe,” she adds.

Authorities at Kerala University have denied permission to conduct a stage show featuring Bollywood actress Sunny Leone citing possible crowd management issues for an event of such magnitude. The event, which was scheduled to be held at the engineering college in the university’s Kariavattom campus, located on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city, according to authorities, violates the government guidelines for cultural programmes in campuses.

In November 2024, four students died and several others were injured after a stampede at a music concert headlined by singer Nikhita Gandhi in Kerala’s Cochin University. To avoid a repetition of a similar incident, the authorities had issued guidelines to conduct programmes in colleges.

Even though fresh guidelines were issued for future events, this particular show, according to authorities, does not comply with the set guidelines.

“We had secured permission to conduct the event, but did not inform the authorities who the guest performer would be, as we were still chalking out details at that time. We were about the get the remaining clearances from police, fire force etc., when we were informed that the authorities would not be giving us the permission to hold this particular event.

The authorities feel that a The authorities feel that a show featuring a popular actor like Sunny Leone will attract a larger crowd and that could cause security issues,” says a student member, who is part of the organising team.

-------------------------------

The vice-chancellor of Kerala University has refused to authorise a dance performance featuring actor Sunny Leone at the University College of Engineering campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on July 5.

According to reports, vice-chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal had directed the registrar to ensure Leone’s performance was excluded from the programme list.

This order follows a stampede that occurred last November during a concert at the Cochin University of Science and Technology in Ernakulam. It resulted in the death of four students and injured over 60 others.

Following the incident, the state government banned DJ nights and parties on college campuses. Reportedly, Kunnummal further stated that the college union had not sought the varsity’s approval for the show.

Sunny Leone has made history by launching her official AI replica recently. In a chat with us, the actor, who is the first Indian celebrity to achieve this feat, expresses her positive outlook on artificial intelligence.

“I don’t look at AI as a threat,” asserts the 42-year-old, adding, “I look at it (AI) as a new tool. We have to embrace it, as we have with most technologies. We have to look at it as a tool to communicate on a massive scale, in a more accurate and time-efficient manner, as well as for entertainment. It’s been used for ideas, script building, concepts and shooting.”

Last year, Hollywood went on strike as the integration of advanced artificial intelligence disrupted traditional roles and workflows, sparking concerns among industry professionals about job security and creative control. Leone — whose AI replica or clone is interactive and trained on her voice and personal data so as to enable personal connection beyond a limited time between fans and celebs — feels, “I believe that it [AI] opens up the possibilities for the actors’ services to extend their digital realm. It gives you the ability to communicate accurately with so many people, and that is what is lacking. One individual has as much time as a real person, and the virtual realm has an endless amount of time and capabilities to reach anyone and everybody. So if used correctly, you can open up many new avenues and verticals.”

When it comes to films, the actor is looking forward to the release of Kennedy, which won applause at several film fests last year. She is also awaiting her Tamil debut in Quotation Gang alongside actors Jackie Shroff and Priyamani.

Actors Ameesha Patel and Sunny Leone were summoned on July 25 by the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) on an issue of non-payment of dues. The actors failed to appear and IMPPA has given them seven days to repay the entire amount. Ameesha had taken Rs. 65 lakh from producer Haresh Patel and Sunny was paid Rs. 21 lakh by producer Vinod Bachchan for a movie.

With the highest regard for IMPPA, we want to clarify that this is a miscommunication. We had informed them of the postponement [in Sunny’s appearance] with proof that, for the last six months, IMPPA was postponing the case. This was the first time we postponed it and notified them of our prior schedule. We have all the documents to prove we are not at fault.

Yeh case kaafi time se chal raha hai but woh (Sunny) meeting me nahin aa rahe hai. Bahut baar humne try kiya hai. Now IMPPA is looking into the matter.

There is no truth to the news. I don’t know what IMPPA is and what they do in Bollywood other than make news.

I didn’t want to take the legal route, but this has been going on for seven years. Ameesha and Kunal asked for more time as they said she was going through a tough time. I even asked to be paid back in instalments. They have returned Rs. 14-15 lakh till now. When I met Kunal, he gave me a letter saying they will clear all the dues by March 2022 but they blocked me. Kunal has misbehaved with me as well. I have now filed criminal charges against Ameesha in Gujarat.

Sunny Leone’s husband (Daniel Weber) responded to our query, saying they’ve already given back Rs. 18 lakh. We’ve asked for more details. Ameesha Patel’s team said their legal team would talk to us. If the actors fail to appear before IMPPA or pay back the amount, they won’t be allowed to shoot anywhere as per IMPPA laws.

Sunny Leone. There, now that I have your attention, with the world’s most googled name, over multiple years—it might be easier to have you explore Karenjit Kaur Vohra, the actual person behind the screen name.

To start with, why is she Sunny Leone, of all names. I wondered about this, dozing off, watching a show recently, where they mentioned the African country, Sierra Leone in it, and I read the subtitles as Sunny Leone!

Wait, is she named after the African country? The real story, and I couldn’t find it detailed on Google, is equally random. When she was still Karenjit—meaning, not yet entered the adult film industry (the accepted euphemism for porn)—she was being interviewed, I’m assuming, for a girlie magazine, after debuting as a pin-up.

Sunny recalls, “So, I was at work. This was at a tax retirement firm, where I did all kinds of jobs, one of which was as the receptionist. During that call, that I had to finish fast, they asked me what should they name me? I couldn’t think of anything, so I said Sunny, which is my brother’s name. He is Sandeep Singh. For the last name, I asked them to pick one themselves.”

As it turns out, the magazine’s owner was Italian. Hence, Leone. Aha, got it—as in filmmaker Sergio Leone (popular Italian surname), not Sierra Leone! That said, Sunny Leone, which Karenjit sees totally as a brand, distinct from her, has gone through multiple makeovers itself. Besides the influencer behind several businesses, from cosmetics to crypto, Sunny Leone 2.0 is a Bollywood actor.

We take this for granted, of course. But, is there any other person from the adult film industry in the world, who’s made that critical transition into mainstream showbiz, in the first place? “In India, for sure, not. In the world? I don’t know! There is Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Tommy Lee… Okay, they’re entertainers, not [mainstream] actors,” Sunny agrees.

And this breaking of a global taboo happened in India, of all places. She’d obviously been to India—where her Punjabi parents first moved to Canada from—quite a few times, growing up: “But as Karen, not Sunny Leone!”

When she got an offer from India to enter the reality show, Bigg Boss, in 2011, she first refused—wary of how the desi public will respond to her, besides understandable safety concerns.

The guys at Colors TV, evidently, made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. The money was good enough for her “down-payment for house” in LA. She had just got married to Daniel Weber, also her business partner. It was just two weeks’ work, and back home. That was the plan. The channel had also assured her that security would not be an issue.

Landing in Mumbai, she and her bodyguard from LA, decided to take a quick peek into what was going on outside the airport, while Weber went off to fetch the bags. And, phew, she saw a massive, uncontrollable crowd, jostling outside, to catch a glimpse of ‘Sunny Leone’: “We just rushed back. The military at the airport had to form a human chain, as we were somehow finally escorted out.”

That frenzy continues, clearly. Consider an image from Kerala that went viral online once, when Sunny had visited Kochi to promote a cellphone brand: “We’ve done such events, a million times. But with this one, the stage was small. From the car, I could see lots of people outside.

“Once I got out, there was a swarm, for as long as you could see, hanging from buses... It takes your breath away! People were analyzing later online, that they were from a political rally, nearby. But they were all yelling my name! It’s on my way back that I saw that picture you’re talking about: ‘Holy shit!’

“They were well-behaved, though, and the police were on guard. Security concerns depend on circumstances. Sometimes you’re at greater risk at a lounge or a nightclub than in a public place.”

What this insane love for Sunny reveals about us—an inherent non-judgmental liberalism, or sheer hypocrisy, is hard to tell.  What’s common, regardless of where you’re in India, as she’s mentioned before, is Sunny being stared at.

“I think it’s an Indian thing. It’s not just with me. They just stare straight at you. I just walk with my horse blinders on. The funniest is, when I actually say hello to someone, on a set, or in general—they just slink away. They don’t say a hey, back. That’s even ruder!”

Ever since the Bigg Boss gig, Sunny says her life has been on a “wheel turning on its own”. Bigg Boss led to Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2, her Bollywood debut, that was a hit, chiefly for its top-class soundtrack.

The film-offer happened with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt entering the Bigg Boss house to publicly sign her up. She thought it was a gimmick/joke: “I didn’t know who he was. Recently, I was on the set with Pooja [Bhatt] getting into the Bigg Boss house. How life comes a full circle!”

On her maiden Bollywood shoot, she felt like a “fish out of water”. Otherwise, her knowledge of Hindi cinema was limited to VHS tapes of films her family played—on occasion, for late-night pyjama plus pizza parties at home.

It’s not that she thought about those films much, let alone imagine starring in them: “I could understand the movies, because Punjabi is similar to Hindi. Being from a conservative family, I spoke to my mother about how the heroines in those films were allowed to wear certain clothes, that I wasn’t permitted to at home. Those were my concerns!”

This tallies with the usual desi Diaspora life, doesn’t it? “It does. And I have a theory. Don’t know about now, but back then, the home-sick migrants, who moved to other countries, chose to create a ‘time warp’ around themselves—for when, and what they had left behind. So, inside their homes, they recreated the same philosophies of Indian life and culture [to feel like they hadn’t moved at all].” Sounds like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), surely.

That was young Karen’s life. Before she became ‘Sunny Leone’, the adult film star, and thereafter a Bollywood actor, of course. There is a scene in Jism 2, where she heaves and moans, to tell her co-actor on screen, “You think this is easy. It looks like it. It’s not.”

While she didn’t write that line, she believes in it: “No matter what you do, if you’re an entertainer, it’s true, it’s a tough life. Even if you have families backing you—they can’t help you win the love of the public.

“And when you’re working, nobody asks you what your day was like, or what you’re going through, on that day—you just perform. Even if someone did ask—you wouldn’t say how you feel. You wear a mask, all the time.”

Take her journey to be taken seriously as a mainstream actor, for instance. She says she did go through acting workshops, before the shoot of Jism 2. And she’s had a team of coaches since.

At one point, she was paying an acting instructor, $200-$300 an hour—“they can be that expensive.” This is because a top Mumbai filmmaker had asked her to audition for the lead in a major production.

And, apparently, she declined—because she was offered economy-class tickets to arrive at the shoot? “Oh, no, that was still okay… It was everything across the board. And I am not talking about some small-budget film, or a production company that couldn’t afford things to be put into the budget for an artiste. It just seemed so unreasonable. But, hey, I did pass the audition!”

She doesn’t name the film. I’m thinking (in my head), Vishal Bhardwaj’s Rangoon (2017), where she could potentially crack the whip well, as Hunterwali, or the Australian-Indian Fearless Nadia. But why hazard a guess.

“Let’s just say, the gentleman’s films did very well, but this one, I auditioned for, went average. So, everything happens for a reason.” Sunny did bag and see through the lead part of Charlie in Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, post an audition, that was “held before the entire office, with everyone being asked how it went!” 

She was terrified. Only to realize—when she hung out with these audience members, over a drink, much later—that she had been pre-selected, already: “Anurag sir probably just wanted to check if I’ll show up [for the audition]. Of course, I will. Since things have landed on my shoulders on their own, I may have created the impression that I won’t test for parts, which is obviously not true.”

This is the first time I’ve met Sunny. Strangely, one thing that most journalists say, once they do interview her, is how surprised they were to find her so sorted in the head. As if adult films stars posing, consensually, before a camera, must be ditzy brunettes.

If anything, you expect candour from a rare celebrity in this part of the world, who’s owned her life so publicly, through a documentary, Mostly Sunny (2016)—even a multi-season, semi-fictional series on her life, Karenjit Kaur - The Untold Story Of Sunny Leone (2018). Which, I’ve to admit, I couldn’t finish, because the crappy app it’s on (ZEE5) just wouldn’t allow me to! 

“What’s in the series, is all true. I was clear about that, when they approached me for it. I’m very emotional about my family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sunny promises.

That series starts with an interview by a journalist, trying to slut-shame Sunny, to state it crudely. It’s somewhat based on news anchor Bhupendra Chaubey’s chat with her for News 18 in 2016. Which showed a really unfazed and warm side of Sunny—she says stuff like, it’s possible that superstar Aamir Khan may not wish to work with someone like her, but that’s okay.

Soon after, she got a call from Aamir, Sunny recalls, “He felt the same cringe. So many others too called up, to say they were proud of me: Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan…”

Given the context, on a lark, I asked ChatGTP what Chaubey’s former colleague, broadcaster Rajdeep Sardesai, might ask Sunny Leone in an interview. All crappy questions. Our jobs are still safe. But I ask her one from that list, anyway.

‘You’ve faced a lot of criticism and backlash from some sections of society for your past work, how do you deal with such negativity?’ Sunny says, “I don’t deal. These people leaving comments are still there, only moving me up in Google rankings.” So, who’s the loser here—fair call/point!

The other thing interesting about the Karenjit Kaur series is it features a stand-up comedian called Rusty, who is so obviously based on the Canadian, desi comic, Russell Peters. Rusty makes jokes on Sunny part of his stand-up routine, while they had actually once dated. True story?

“Yeah, you should check it out. Not that I mind at all. It’s for the laughs, it’s totally fine.” How long had they dated? “For a hot second! We were great together, as friends—drinking, being silly, funny… We went on a date, and just messed it up. I’d still be so happy to meet him.”

As per that series, again, her boyfriend then (Daniel), husband now, beats the shit out of Rusty for using Sunny in his gags: “Oh, no that was just sensationalizing. That never happened. All that family parts in the series, though, are all true. 

“Actually, when I met Danny is when I was still just dating Russell. Once Danny and I got together, I just had to drop my friendship with Russell. It’d be a mixing of weirdness, otherwise. Felt sad about it.”

Unsure if Sunny continues to make it to Russell’s stand-up set. Surely, it’d be better than other Sunny jokes floating around, forever: ‘What happens when Sunny Deol marries Sunny Leone? They both become Sunny Leone!’ She doesn’t find any of them funny, anyway: “Danny does; but he has a different sense of humour!”

Having spent over a decade in Mumbai—which, even for Indians is a tough city to live in—Sunny says it’s her pucca New Yorker, Brooklyn, Jewish husband, Daniel, who’s turned more desi, as a result.

She laughs, “Well, don’t go by my American accent. I’m totally Indian myself too. And even after I retire, Mumbai will remain my home forever. But when I see Danny order chicken tikka all the time, bob his head, say, ‘time-pass’, ‘just’, ‘only’… I’m like, ‘Who are you, dude?’”

The only thing that surprises me about Sunny is that she’s a Trump supporter, or at least a sufficient sympathizer—and this, only because she’s the daughter of Indian migrants herself. Trump’s views on migration, in general, are well-known.

Besides that it’s not proven (or proven otherwise) that Trump was a sexual offender at all, or that his supporters stormed the Capitol, when he lost the elections—Sunny’s arguments are focused more on Joe Biden’s supposed indiscretions.

We get into a bit of a political debate, to realize soon enough, thankfully—it’s kinda pointless in these polarized times. Waste of time. Nobody’s winning this.

But she has her firm opinions, and it’s do with the fact that her brother Sandeep (the real ‘Sunny’), a chef, has to be pay for Obamacare (America’s healthcare programme, supported by the Democrats.)

“Well, he can’t feed himself, and it’s okay that he must pay premium for Obamacare? He must have the choice, whether to, or not. America is all about choice.”

Okay, okay, moving on. If you follow her conversations, even casually, the only prism to assess Karenjit, as a person, is to see her quite simply as an astute business person. “And doing business is slightly different in India,” she says.

Something she needs to adjust to: “We are Americans. We do our work, and move on. Over here, more emotions get involved. That’s what businesses run on. That you must meet next week, too, even when the work is over. It was a learning curve. And something that Danny and I have realised we need to pay attention to.”

That said, Sunny sees India as the market to be in: “Even if you go to Bandra, and check with people selling slippers there, how much they make—it’ll shock you. Of course, there is competition, but running small businesses, even mom and pop shops, is much easier, than in America. Just look at the number of people here!”

As a big enough brand herself—with a premium valuation for everything, from ribbon-cutting, to product endorsements—there are businesses she runs, with Sunny Leone as the leverage.

She says, “It helps me live my passion, which was always business, since I was a child. I was that kid knocking on doors, selling you stuff—starting with lemonade, shoveling snow... Even when I entered the  adult industry, I built my own website, learnt HTML, marketing, photoshop for images, video, ran my own affiliate programme…”

Not that we’re taxmen to ask how much she makes—it certainly sounds like an empire of sorts, by Indian standards. What does she do with her money—does she have guilty-pleasure luxuries, say, a private island?

“I hope Danny buys me one in Maldives, where we keep going for holidays. No, I’m just a plough-horse on a farm, that keeps working. I’m lucky, because my husband buys stuff for us. But we spent on our house here [in Andheri West], our cars… We also save money—we have three kids, a lot of it will go to them.”

How about a private jet? “Oh, I would never buy that. Not even reserve a seat in a time-share [programme]!” Why’s that? Well, there is a story.

“Okay, firstly, those private jets are nothing like you see in amazing images, and ads. They’re dinkies. We got into a private plane, going to Latur [in Maharashtra], because there is no commercial airport there. The plane got into a crazy air-pocket. We had the Sardar pilot loudly praying, ‘Waahe Guruji, Waahe Guruji...’ Our security guy’s legs were flying in two different directions, hands elsewhere. Danny was losing it with the manager, who’d booked us in the plane. I was trying to calm him down. I swore, I’ll never fly such a plane again.

“And guess what? A month later, we learnt, that we had matched with a girl [Nisha] for adoption. Guess where? Latur! I asked my manager to book a private charter, again. He said, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ We had to return to Latur, to eventually pick Nisha up, thereafter, as well. I guess, Latur and I are connected, in the most amazing and non-amazing ways! But yes, I don’t mind the last row of a commercial flight—no private jet!”

Done. No private jet for most of us who are reading this either. Just that we will never afford it—at least we can feel better about it! To think of it, everything began for Sunny with photos in girlie magazines, and videos that went viral, before that term was invented.

While production of porn is illegal in India, I tell her about how there is a thriving underground, local, adult films’ scene. One of the male stars of which, an actor called Shakespeare (it’s his real name), I’ve been in touch with, as a journalist, for quite some time.

Shakespeare tells me about how Sunny’s unthinkable commercial success had inspired a cottage eco-system of female aspirants. Which, in a way, also reflects a changing society, when it becomes to matters of shame and guilt, associated with sex.

Is she aware of this, or does she have a take on it? “How would I know [of what’s going on]? I live in my own bubble. When I go out to meet people, it’s not like they say, come on, let’s talk about sex!”

The truth is, those aspirants will not see anything close to Sunny days, ever. Maybe even get penalized/ostracized for it, in the long run, who knows?

Consider Mia Khalifa—an adult film star, about as well-known as Sunny. In 2014, she shot a dozen videos for $12,000, which remained her lifetime’s income from it. Her popularity  subsequently soared, but she gained nothing.

And she never actually wished to be a ‘porn star’, she said—coming out in public, eventually, shining a light on the exploitative nature of America’s adult film industry. To which, Sunny responds, “How do I put this in a nice way? Read your contract!”

She adds, “I worked only with the best people. I have no horror stories. I read through and corrected every single contract, [to ensure] I was gaining something from it. I was in control of everything that I was doing. And I do believe, in that industry, there are different sides. But from my perspective, I was in complete control. I saw it as a means to get towards something different.”

As for whether she empathizes with Mia’s state/claims, at least, she argues, “Let’s say, you are going to broadcast this interview on one platform. But you also license it out to several other outlets. If I sign a contract that says, no, you can’t. Then, you can’t. Sure, you could end up with people who lie. But usually, at least in my experience, people are straightforward.”

In her own case, while she’s exited the adult industry, her videos continue to fly: “Exactly! You can’t get rid of the Internet, it’s impossible. But I did make sure—I got out of whatever time I spent on it. I did.

“Also, you know—it’s like me telling you to limit where you are going to put out this interview. Is that going to help me, or hurt me? Do I want you to exploit this interview? Of course.”

If we go back again to the Karenjit Kaur series, the one who was evidently hurt by Sunny’s choice of profession was her mother, foremost. Apparently, she veered towards alcoholism, as a result?

“No, my mother became an alcoholic, way before my life choices. We went through a lot of craziness in our house, because of this addiction. It was sad, because you always want to think that your mother loves you more than alcohol. But it wasn’t about that. It was an addiction—something psychological that needed to be repaired from the inside. That had nothing to do with me.”

“Was I a trigger? Most definitely. But I was always a trigger. It didn’t matter what I did—whether it was coming home late, or anything she didn’t like. When [the adult industry] happened, it was, you know, a stamp-trigger. It was not fun at all.”

Which brings me to what can only be termed the successful ‘porn star paradox’. And it’s something any libertarian parent might have to deal with. Which is—what if their child tells them they wish to follow in the footsteps of Sunny, given the immeasurable amounts of fame and money she has achieved? What would they even say? How would Sunny respond, if her children asked her the same?

“I would have to educate them as much as possible—to let them know of pros and the cons of this [decision]. They will obviously know [about] what I have done in my life, at some point. They are too young now. I made certain decisions, because of whatever circumstances in my life. So, if I can provide you with sound decisions—where you know what you are doing, and if you are okay with that—then I don’t think I would be able to stop anybody, after a certain age. I don’t know—they are only 5 and 7. It’s a long time from now. My main worry is how to get through their teenage years! I think that will be more difficult than some of the life choices they make after 18.”

Her children’s professional future is way ahead of them, of course—we may still be looking far too much into Sunny’s past as well, while she’s currently at another cusp in her career.

She returned from Cannes, where her film, Kennedy, premièred before a packed house, at the biggest venue of the festival. It’s surprising that this was her first time at the French riviera, given the number of stars, celebrities and wannabes walk the red-carpet there for a photo-op.

She was a rare one from India, with an actual film, to show for it. The screening at the world’s top cinema fete concluded with a reported seven-minute standing ovation. Sunny, you could see, was in tears.

“I was crying like a baby the entire week at Cannes. It was a really emotional trip. And there are two sides of it. One is the film itself, which I am so happy and proud of. Then, there is my personal journey—and what does Cannes means to me, in it? If you told me, when I stepped foot in the Bigg Boss house—that 11 years later, I would be walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, I would have told you to go, f*** yourself! That you are some crazy man, who took some blue pill. And that’s the crazy journey that I’ve had.”

Kennedy has reached the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, as has Sunny Leone. Her movie, helmed by Anurag Kashyap, premièring at the prestigious gala is perhaps the perfect example of how far the actor’s tenacity has brought her.

“I’ve always believed that if you don’t give up, work hard, and stand by your own morals, you will be happy with your choices,” she says, looking back on her journey.

In 2011, Leone left her profession as an adult star in the US and stepped into Indian showbiz with Bigg Boss 5, following it up with Hindi films. Was it exhausting to forge her path in an industry where people may have harboured judgment about her?

“If it wasn’t for my fans, I wouldn’t have been here. Disappointment and feelings of rejection give us the option of either being negative, or figuring out our own path. This is one of the proudest moments of my career.”

Last July, Kashyap and Leone announced their collaboration. That was enough to spark chatter about whether she will fit in the vision of the director, known to choose actors over stars. Leone admits that questions around her acting capabilities have always followed her.

“It gets to me at the back of my mind. I’ve tried not to show that people’s comments hurt me. [I’ve been asked] questions like, ‘When will you do a serious role?’ or ‘How does it feel to be in a serious role now?’ It’s not a great feeling. I’ve always taken myself seriously. Unfortunately, some people don’t see you as a human. Kennedy and Anurag Kashyap are the perfect examples of pushing all that negativity aside, and something amazing coming true.”

The Rahul Bhat-led neo-noir thriller, which premières today, sees Leone play Charlie. To her, Kashyap’s set has been nothing less than a school, where she learnt much about cinema and craft. “I was nervous at my audition, and on the first day of shooting. I’m happy they accepted my version of Charlie. To get advice and lessons from someone who is considered knowledgeable not only in the Indian film industry, but all over the world, is incredible. I hope I can work with Anurag sir again.”

As rescue operations are underway in Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the series of earthquakes that have taken a toll on the lives of residents, actor Sunny Leone, and Daniel Weber have lent a helping hand to the survivors, and their families.

Leone and Weber, will donate 10 per cent of the sales of the February earnings of their cosmetic brand to assist in relief and recovery efforts. Asserting that individuals must contribute to the best of their abilities, Leone says the global community needs to come together to help the affected.

“Together, we can rebuild and restore hope after the earthquake. It is essential that everyone across the world comes together to lend a helping hand. I urge people to join us in helping the survivors rebuild their lives,” she says, as Weber adds, “It has been deeply disturbing to see what people in Turkey and Syria are going through. It is important that each one of us vouches to do everything we can to help those in need. The 10 per cent of the sales will be donated to charities working towards getting the required essentials to people in affected areas.”

Recently, actor Sunny Leone used social media to react to a parody video of herself where her accent was in focus. “I don’t think I sound like a valley girl… but nice one ladies (sic),” she commented on influencer Dharna Durga’s post, where the latter was seen imitating the actor from the reality show Splitsvilla.

“My name is bigger than my accent. People like me as a person, which is amazing. I’m happy for that. I have built a reputation of being very professional, and I plan to keep it that way,” says Leone.

“I can’t do anything about my accent. And all around the world, everybody makes fun of people’s accents. Americans make fun of certain accents. Here, people make fun of mine,” says the actor, who grew up in Canada, and shifted base to India after her Bollywood debut, Jism 2 (2012).

“If someone wants to make fun of me, it’s totally okay with me. All I know is that I would never make fun of them because of their accent, because that’s my philosophy in life,” says the Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Ragini MMS Returns (2017) actor.

“What pushed me to respond to this influencer was that I thought it was funny. I don’t necessarily think I sound like a valley girl (a cultural stereotype denoting an affluent and spoilt young Californian woman). It’s her version of who she feels I am. I watch these parodies and people making fun of me, and think that if an influencer thinks I’m special enough to make fun of, then amazing,” the 41-year-old says, adding that she enjoys such content but doesn’t go looking for it. “If somebody sends it to me, I watch and I get a chuckle out of it,” quips Leone.

If you were surprised to see Sunny Leone’s de-glam avatar in the trailer of Quotation Gang, you’re not the only one. The actor too was surprised when filmmaker Vivek Kumar Kannan approached her for the crime drama. After all, the role was completely at odds with the glamorous image she has built over the past decade with hit numbers like Baby doll and Laila main Laila.

“When Vivek narrated the story, the first thing I asked him was what he wanted from me. He said he wanted me to play [a part] so [far removed from me] that people would not recognize me,” she states.

Also starring Jackie Shroff and Priyamani, Quotation Gang tells the story of contract killers. Leone plays Padma, a gang leader’s wife, who has a ringside view to the crimes and cruelty of the world. “I was not apprehensive about playing her. I trusted the director’s vision completely, and focused more on my performance than my look.”

After doing several look tests, the director and the actor’s make-up artist settled on an earthy look, comprising dark skin, heavily kohled eyes and unkempt hair. “It’s interesting to play characters that are outside your comfort zone. I worked with the director on all the details. While I have essayed grungier characters before, I have never played such a de-glam role.”

Such dark roles often take an emotional toll. It used to be hard to shake off the character after the day’s shoot, admits the actor. “I had a few sleepless nights. Even though you know that everything you are seeing is not real, it affects you. As soon as I would reach home and see my family, I could snap out of it. But the car ride back home, after the shoot, used to be difficult.”

Sunny Leone, a known name in the entertainment industry today, is quite happy with her journey so far. Sunny, who has hosted seven seasons of the reality show Splitsvilla with Rannvijay Singha, has hosted her eighth season without him. She says, “Rannvijay is not with me this season and I am always going to miss him. He has become my brother from another mother. We had developed such a good friendship and there was a sense of togetherness between both of our families. And the best part is that though he is not hosting the season with me, he is just a phone call away. We are in touch through calls and messages. In fact, his wife also messages me. We are family friends now.”

Sunny, who has done item numbers, films and web series, finds hosting shows really interesting. “Of course, I love films. But I like hosting, too, although I host only one show a year and love the experience. I really look forward to it as it is a different type of shooting schedule,” she says.

Ask Sunny if her acting potential has been utilized to the fullest in the entertainment industry and she replies, “As of now, I am working on a film with Anurag Kashyap and I am really excited about that. I am sure that once people see this film, some good things should soon follow.”

Sunny says, “More than the film industry tagging me in a certain category, I guess the articles that have been written about me, have tagged me in a certain image in the industry. I am not tagging myself. It is a vicious circle. I can’t really do much about tagging, but yes, I can stay true to who I am, work really hard and also believe that somebody will see my hard work. I am forever grateful to Anurag Kashyap, who saw that in me and offered me something different.”

She adds, “Even on the last day of the shoot with him, I couldn’t control my emotions as I am really thankful to him for giving me a chance. I am happy with my life and where I am and if people put a tag on me, I really can’t do much about it nor am I upset about it.”

Sunny has also been quite active in the industry down South. Talking about it, she says, “The experience is amazing and the best part is that each role has been different from the other. A lot of my projects got delayed because of the pandemic, but I am happy that finally, the films that I’d done down South are releasing.”

Sunny, who is a proud mother of three children, Nisha, Asher, and Noah, is enjoying motherhood. “My kids are wonderful and really are a gift from God. They are so funny and so smart and I love spending as much time as I can with them. All of them have different interests and both my husband and I enjoy keeping our kids busy,” she concludes.