Sunny Leone
While this is a serious biography of filmstar Sunny Leone, some photographs might not be suitable for those under 18.
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Family
In this sequence she demands to know why the French fries that she had ordered with her burger (seen above her titlis) have not been served.
Actually, they are right there on the plate. If she can't see them it is because the view has been obstructed by her booblas.
(Sorry! This was the best print we could get!)
The actress known as Sunny Leone was born on May 13, 1981
Sunny's real name is Karenjit Kaur Vohra but she is better known by her stage name Sunny Leone.
Her father was a Punjabi Sikh born in Tibet. Her mother was Punjabi.
Sunny Leone talks about her family and her early years
I
Sunny Leone spoke to IANS| My parents ok with what I do: Sunny Leone Mumbai, Jan 3, 2011?,
On her childhood and teens
I grew up in a typical Punjabi home. From Sunday to Thursday, my mother prepared Punjabi food– sabzi, roti, rice and daal. Only on weekends we could have meat, like chicken curry or pizza and pasta. We were a family that ate at 7:30 pm. All four of us. My father and mother loved to cook. My brother and I visited the Gurudwara and did keertan every Sunday. I played sports.
My father always supported my mother. They were both raised in India with the same set of values and same rules, but my father helped my mother cook and clean. My mom had a job too, so running the family was a combined effort.
I look up to my father. He worked all day long and studied at night to get his doctorate degree. I watched him juggle so many things at the same time.
We moved to California from Ontario, Canada when I was 14. It was devastating to leave my friends. I went through a difficult teenage.
As far as women go, I worked at a tax firm in the US when I was 17, and the owner of the agency was very influential. She had an aura around her that said 'I own the world'; and I liked that.
But by 18, I grew into my own. I wanted to be independent, live on my own, buy my own car...
But with that came things, which my parents didn’t want me to do. They wanted their little girl to stay a little girl forever. But I did my own thing. The more they pushed me not to do something, the more I went in the opposite direction.
On her extended family
My (relatives) don't speak to me anymore. They don't like me at all and that's very sad. Since 'Bigg Boss' everybody disowned me. I put my best foot forward and I reached out to them, but they are not okay with who I am. All of India accepted me, other than my blood family. It doesn't make any sense, right? Of course, that's their prerogative.
I tried meeting them once when I was close to Punjab but they wanted nothing to do with me. It was a ‘closure moment’. My family in the US would meet me because I was my father’s daughter. But I don’t have a relationship with anyone. So it’s just my brother, my husband Daniel (Weber) and his parents and his family. They are closer to me than my own flesh and blood.
And my friends. These are the people who stuck by me in good and bad times, unlike my blood relatives, who didn't make one phone call.
My mother passed away within three months of me meeting [Daniel]. God took away my mother but he gave me Daniel. Daniel took care of my father too. He was the only person who made sure I was okay after my parents passed away.
She made a conscious choice to be an adult actress. What was her parents' reaction to her career choice?
I informed my parents after I won the Penthouse cover-of-the-year and $100,000. It was impossible to keep it a secret. How would they react? Obviously there was a confrontation between us. They were upset at first. Eventually they came to terms with the fact that it is what I've chosen to do with my life. With time they came to know I'm still their daughter, still the same person.
When you enter this line of work, you don’t consult your parents. No parent would give their blessings. Any parent would say, ‘I’m locking you in your room, and you’re never going to leave.’ But I thought before the aunties and uncles start gossiping about their ‘beti’, I told my parents about it. They were naturally upset; my father didn’t show it as much as my mother did. We had a couple of heated discussions. But they had raised someone so independent that they knew they couldn’t convince me out of it. Their main concern was that I remain healthy and safe. They just accepted it, I was their only daughter. I still wanted to come home, see them, eat with them... so we didn’t talk about the situation. I was still the goofy nerdy girl, who walked around the house with messed up hair.
No child ever wants to feel that they’ve hurt their parents. But at the same time I wasn’t living my life for my parents, I was living my life for myself. Yes, I’d probably hurt their feelings, I’d probably taken the path they didn’t want me to. But it was my decision.
On what it was like being a porn star
I believe I [led] my life just the way I want[ed] to. I [was] free to do what I want[ed] without any restrictions.
II
While Sunny Leone didn't want a documentary made on her to be made public in India, filmmaker Dilip Mehta went on to release 'Mostly Sunny' at multiple film festivals like TIFF and MAMI.
Recently released on a leading 'video on demand' platform, here are a few revelations that Sunny made in her documentary which the change the way you look at her.
Sunny spoke about being a loner kid who tried to fit in
"I was a loner kid who tried to fit in, but didn't."
Sunny used her brother Sandeep Vohra's nickname to use as her stage name
Sunny's brother Sandeep Vohra revealed, "My sister told me 'Penthouse asked me what my stage name is going to be', and then she is like 'Don't laugh, don't be mad. My stage name is Sunny.' Explaining further she said, 'Your name was the first thing that popped into my head'. To that, I said, 'That's freaking cool.' I don't mind'."
Sunny recalls a time when her brother decided to cash on her popularity
When Sandeep was in college, he wanted to make a couple of extra bucks. He was like, 'can you sign some autographs so I can sell them?' And I told him 'You are making money off of me? But don't take anything less than $10 to $15."
When Sunny revealed to her parents that she is a porn star
I told my parents about working in porn after winning Penthouse Pet of the year. I told them I won $100,00, thinking that it would sound like a lottery win."
"My mother, after a lot of silence, said, 'You were naked?' And my father said, 'You didn't consult us before making this decision. I can only tell you to be the best at whatever you do in life'."
When Sunny's husband Daniel Weber's parents came to know about his profession
My folks didn't know about me in the adult industry. I went on a radio show with Sunny and asked my mom to tune in. On the show, they asked me, 'What's it like to have sex with your wife on camera?' My jaw dropped. My phone buzzed, it was a text from my mother which read, 'Please tell me this is not true'."
When Sunny faced backlash for her being an adult film actress
When I posed for the Penthouse magazine cover, I got hate. People said, 'You're not Indian. You're not a woman. You're a disgrace to our culture and all Indian people'. Reading all these nasty things at the age of 19 was not fun."
When Sunny spoke about the assumptions people have about her
"People assume from our background, that we are into a swinger type of a lifestyle. They ask if she's a prostitute or an escort. That is offensive!"
When Sunny spoke about feeling isolated in the Bollywood industry
I fit in with my fans. But as far as the film fraternity goes, I'm not really a part of it. I think that they are very curious. They've called me names. But I'm not a part of their group.
Sunny on when she decided to quit the porn industry
"The moment that we started our own production company, Sunlust Pictures, was my exit strategy. I didn't want to act in porn all my life."
When Sunny slammed her detractors
"A lot of fingers get pointed at me when these cases of rape happen and it's absolutely disheartening and ridiculous in every way. Rape didn't get created when I got created."
"It was happening before the adult material was on the internet. Rape is now reported because of the internet and television. Me or porn shouldn't be blamed for that."
When Sunny spoke about how shrewd the business is
"My theory was, that if I'm going to take my clothes off for the world to see, then I want to make every single penny. Why should anyone else?"
When Sunny said she finds performing at weddings absurd
"This is the craziest shit. They want me, Sunny Leone, a porn star, to dance and have a good time and be a part of their celebration."
Teens
An academic student
Sunny Leone was once a nerd. In an interview with Zoom, the actress said, "I was a very academic student in college, but until college, I was an average student. But I knew business and I was fond of marketing, and all kind of geeky stuff. I was a nerd in my teenage years and didn’t have a lot of friends. I also knew how to edit videos, do photoshop and lot of other things that a lot of 18 or 19-year olds don’t do... No boy was interested in me until I was 18."
Sunny Leone was studying to be a pediatrician when she joined the adult film industry at the age of 19.
Too chubby
Sunny Leone: I was called 'too fat' to be a model, PTI | Sep 11, 2016
Sunny Leone reveals in the initial stage of her career, she was called 'too fat' to be a model. In 2016 Sunny became the first Bollywood actress to walk the ramp at New York Fashion Week, and looked resplendent as the showstopper in an ivory Archana Kochhar gown.
"It was such an amazing feeling. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a model and when I turned 18, I I tried. I was told I was too short, too fat, too commercial or they were just not interested," said Leone in an email interview from New York.
Personal life
Love life as a teenager
In a chat show. Sunny Leone disclosed some interesting facts about her early life and teenage
Sunny Leone disclosed being a tom boy during her teenage and remembered her first boyfriend in high school with whom she had her first kiss while watching the movie Romeo and Juliet.
In the interview, Sunny also revealed that while growing up she was far from the glamorous personality.
Leone also recalled her horrific moment when she was caught red-handed by her father while she was making out with her boyfriend.
Calling it an unfortunate incident, Sunny was really embarrassed when she got caught by her father.
Remembering the moment, Sunny said she was siting on her beau's lap and busy canoodling when her father walked in.
Sunny also said that the boy used to write love letters to her everyday.
Talking about her first boyfriend, Sunny said he used to play basketball and was hot and handsome.
But sadly Sunny's parents used to hate him.
Former porn star also revealed in the show that she had her first kiss when she was 11 years old.
Known for her bold avatar, Sunny also revealed that she had sex when she was 16.
In the chat show, Sunny also said that her first heartbreak happened when her parents moved from Michigan to California.
Sunny, whose real name is Karenjit Kaur Vohra, made a transition into Bollywood after making a name for herself as an adult film actress abroad.
Sunny took the reality TV route with a stint in one of the previous seasons of "Bigg Boss" to come into spotlight in India. She has featured in films like "Jism 2", "Ek Paheli Leela", "Kuch Kuch Locha Hai" and "One Night Stand".
Not only has Leone experimented with bold roles in Bollywood, she has also been pretty vocal about her choice, making no bones about any intimate scenes.
The last film that saw Sunny kissing her co-stars on screen was 'Ragini MMS 2' and post that, Sunny hasn't kissed any of her co-actor.
How Karenjit Kaur became Sunny Leone
Sunny confessed that she hadn't really put much thought into her name. She revealed that at the age of 19, during an interview with an adult magazine, she was asked what she would like to be named. Her instant reply was, Sunny. However, Sunny happens to be her brother Sandeep's nickname.
Later love life
Sunny was engaged to Matt Erikson, vice-president of marketing at Playboy Enterprises before they broke up in 2008.
While Sunny was inside "Bigg Boss" house [in 2011], her by then ex-fiance Matt Erikson apparently released their first adult-film together without her consent
Sunny’s reaction was a big hearted, ‘ I am not sure about what has actually happened. But in the adult industry there are certain rules that must be followed. If for some reason he has released content that he does not own, then….’
IANS tried to probe if her parting with Matt was unpleasant
Once again Sunny’s response was a dignified, ‘We didn't see eye-to-eye. It didn't work out. I am a happy person today. I'm a better wise person today. I know exactly what I want in a man now.’
Sunny got married to Daniel Weber
Marriage
Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber got married in a gurudwara
Sunny Leone, has often confessed to being head over heels in love with her husband Daniel Weber. According to a report on Bollywoodlife.com, Sunny and Daniel got married in a traditional Sikh wedding at a gurudwara. Sunny was quoted in saying in the report that her parents were very religious and even though they were not a part of her wedding functions, she made sure it happened their way. She further stated that as a kid, she visited a gurudwara every week and she along with her brother were forced to do kirtan. Since both her parents had passed away, Sunny wanted the tradition to be carried forward and hence Daniel and she had a Punjabi wedding, stated the actress. Sunny added that she grew up watching gurudwara weddings with red bridal dresses.
‘A very lucky daughter-in-law’
Sunny Leone flew to the US to celebrate father-in-law’s birthday
According to Desimartini.com, Sunny Leone had in 2016 taken a trip to the US, so that she could be a part of her father-in-law’s 70th birthday celebrations. The report further states that the dates of this trip was set almost a year ago, and that it was the first time since she had known her husband, Daniel Weber that the entire family was coming together. Sunny also went on to say that the family trip enabled her to connect with everyone and that she considered herself as a very lucky daughter-in-law.
Married life
Sunny and husband, Daniel Weber share a great chemistry. Despite her busy schedule, the hottie took time out for her hubby Daniel Weber. Daniel posted a picture with Sunny where both of them are seen bringing their quirk on in an elevator! The caption reads, " Love in an Elevator !!!!! Sunday relax time with @SunnyLeone.” [sic]
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Sunny Leone and her husband, Daniel Weber, launched their own banner. Daniel was quoted in the report as saying that, "We already own a production house in Los Angeles called Sun Lust but this one will be completely different with a new name and will produce only Bollywood films. The first production will roll in October [2016]" The musician-producer himself turns actor with Dangerous Husn, co-starring two new leading ladies and wife Sunny in a special appearance. Daniel recently performed live with his rock band, The Disparrows, at a show, called India's Digital Superstars and now heads out to the Rhythm and Blues Music Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. He is quoted in the report as saying that, "I've composed a number for my upcoming film. We recently filmed the first song so it's all been about singing and going for Hindi-speaking classes."
Sunny Leone, who turned 34 on May 13, 2015, did not get to spend her special day with hubby Daniel Weber. But this could not refrain the actress from celebrating the moment with her better half. Apparently, Daniel treated Sunny to a surprise birthday dinner a few days before. The actress shared some pictures with her fans on her Twitter account. "Surprise bday dinner with @DanielWeber99 because we will be apart on the 13th. So sweet!" [sic] read her tweet. Sunny got emotional with this gesture coming from her husband. She further wrote, "I started crying, when @DanielWeber99 put a candle in our chocolate soufflé.reminded me of my parents& @chefsundeep" [sic]
Daniel Weber shared a picture on his Instagram account and wrote a heart-warming birthday wish for his wife that read, "Sometimes nothing else matters. !!!! Happy Birthday my Love !!! @sunnyleone we are crazy together forever !!!!!"
Visiting the Siddhivinayak temple
Bollywood’s sexy siren Sunny Leone was clicked by the paparazzi as she visited the Siddhivinayak temple at Prabhadevi on May 1, 2015. She visited the temple to seek blessings for her upcoming sex comedy Kuch Kuch Locha Hai. After the darshan, Sunny tweeted, “Thank you @Archana_Kochhar for my bright summery suit for Sidi Vinayak this morning- @KKLHtheFilm prayers!!!" [sic]
Career in Filmistan
BF (Before Filmistan)
In 2010, Sunny was adjudged as one of the 12 top female stars in porn by leading men's magazine, Maxim.
Before working in the porn industry, she worked in a German bakery, at Jiffy Lube, and later at a tax and retirement firm.
Sunny, better known as an adult film actor and producer, was first introduced to Indians in Bigg Boss Season 5 in 2011, and she credits the show for making her popular in India. By then Sunny Leone had been in 'adult' films for ten years, and had directed 42 adult films and starred in 41 films.
Bigg Boss
Moving to India
On being asked whether she was hesitant before moving to India, Sunny was honest and said, "I was very hesitant and scared. I was scared of the idea of leaving it all and coming to India. When I came in entertainment, I got hate mails from Indian communities in the US. I didn't want to go through all that again, but ironically what happened now is that the Indian community in the US told me they are happy for me."
Sunny Leone grabbed eyeballs with her hot avatar in Bigg Boss and moved to Bollywood to set the screen on fire. By then an adult star in North America, Sunny Leone made her Bollywood debut in 2012 with Mahesh Bhatt's Jism 2.
She went into "Bigg Boss" with her profession as an adult star a secret. She told IANS, ‘I had to grope around in the house to give them a sense of who I was as a person, and not for what I did as a career. That was tough. It was very important for them to come to terms with my personality before I revealed my true identity.’
When they got to know that she was an adult actress, ‘They were surprisingly okay with it. That was an absolutely pleasant surprise. If anyone had issues with what I did, I'd have known,’ Sunny would later recall.
The actress had shown her hot avatar in Bigg Boss where she caught the attention of Mahesh Bhatt and was signed for Jism 2. Sunny learned to use Glycerine to cry during dramatic scenes on the sets of Jism 2.
However, very few are aware that reportedly the adult star was to do a cameo in Kalyug but due to her financial expectations of a $1 million, director Mohit Suri retreated.
The adult star faced criticism as well with her sudden found stardom in the industry. The adult porn star is an Indo-Canadian and American actress, businesswoman and model.
The A League avoided her, initially
”‘During one of the first award shows I attended; no one wanted to go on stage with me. People wanted nothing to do with me.” : Sunny Leone
Sunny had always complained of A-listers not working with her given her controversial past.
She felt she was being discriminated against
Sunny Leone was quoted in an Indiatoday.in report as saying that she faces discrimination in Bollywood in terms of the roles she is offered which is also due to her past. She rues that there are a lot of people in Bollywood who discriminate against her and she asserts that she doesn't wants to do anything illegal in this country. She adds that she wants a chance and that she hopes that there is some sense of acceptance.
According to a report on Bollywoodlife.com, a source informed that Hindi GECSs [General Entertainment Channels] were not willing to promote anything erotic on family channels, including Sunny's Kuch Kuch Locha Hain. Sunny's films like Jism 2, Ragini MMS 2, Hate Story 2 and Ek Paheli Leela were heavily promoted on TV so this comes as a surprise. Further to reports, GECs also claimed that they did not have any shows to accommodate Sunny Leone.
According to reports, Congress spokesman, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, irked former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, when he tweeted questioning the presence of Sunny Leone in mainstream Bollywood films. Abhishek's tweet read, "V shd be careful that western rejects like sunny leone are not allowed to epitomise indian culture or acquire the status of a Bollywood icon." [sic] Abdullah slammed Congress spokesman over his twitter remark and wrote, "I thought this was a fake handle but seems not. What the hell possessed him to tweet this???" [sic]
Why A-listers refused to work with the actress
According to a report on IANS, the makers of Sunny Leone's Ek Paheli Leela have claimed that many actors refused to be a part of the film as Sunny had already been signed on to play the lead role of Leela. The director of the film, Bobby Khan has been quoted in the report as saying that, "Many big actors and known faces were approached for the film. They loved the script, but they refused it because Sunny belongs from the adult film industry. It was very sad that many actors refused to do this film." The director further added that Sunny was very sad due to this. He said, "Her past life was her choice, but in India, people's thinking is still like that...Many actors refused the film... Sunny felt bad and Daniel (Sunny's husband Daniel Weber) told me, 'Next time if you see an actor, I will come with you as I want to tell them that please work with my wife as she is very professional'. I felt very sad." Now the director wants Sunny to get an image makeover of sorts with his film as he claims that the character she plays is a very strong one.
The Akshay Kumar starrer Singh Is Bling
Sunny Leone had always wanted to work with an A-lister but her past came in the way. However, it seems that her dream has been fulfilled finally. According to a DNA report, Sunny was shooting in Goa for her TV show, when she got a chance to be a part of Akshay Kumar's film, Singh Is Bling. The team of Akshay's film was shooting in Goa, which is when they decided to add Sunny’s cameo to the film, and approached her for the same. A source was quoted in the report as saying that it was a tight schedule for Sunny, but she had requested for a day off to shoot with the Khiladi. Sounding hopeful, Sunny tweeted, "Today I had the opportunity to do something only dreams are made of. It's one step to hopefully new beginnings :) living the good life!"
The turning point
In 2016 Sunny was promoting her film Mastizaade.
During one such promotional TV interview, CNN IBN anchor Bhupendra Chaubey posed some questions, which Sunny tackled quite sportingly.
However, Filmistan—led by its A-listers—was disgusted by the interview—and filled with admiration for the way Sunny tackled it.
Anushka Sharma called it a ‘downright distasteful interview; [it] shows … lack of basic human respect’ She offered kudos to Sunny Leone. Rishi Kapoor felt that it was a ‘very unfair& rude interview.’ He praised Sunny Leone for ‘taking it on her chin sportingly, obviously in the interest of her coming film.’ Sushant Singh Rajput told Sunny, ‘How beautifully u held your own in that stupid interview’
One of the questions asked was You would like to work with Aamir Khan, but would Aamir Khan like to work with you? (Indian Express)
That was when Aamir Khan tweeted in her support, to tell Sunny he’d love to work with her.
Sunny recalls. ‘I was sitting in my car then. I began jumping up and down. I was so excited. I wasn’t expecting him to say what he did. I was elated. Whether we work together or not, I’ll always be his fan. I’ll always watch his movies, I’ll always respect him.’
After that things changed
Sunny Leone's biggest grouse was that no A-lister wanted to work with her, despite her record of delivering box-office hits. However, in 2016 filmmakers seem to have finally paid heed to her complain. After a cameo appearance in Akshay Kumar's Singh Is Bliing, buzz is that Sunny was been signed on by the biggie of Bollywood, Karan Johar for a cameo in his next film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. A source has been quoted in the DNA report as saying that Karan Johar understands the fact that Sunny is a huge draw at the box-office and approached her for her oomph factor. The source also adds that Sunny is thrilled with the development as for her, it means that she is moving into the big league.
This was followed up by an item number in the Shahrukh Khan- starrer Raees (2017)
Sunny is still not in the big league. She is only doing item numbers for A-list films. But at least the wall between them has been broken. She is no longer a pariah
Stardom
‘Most Googled Indian in 2014, 15’
Sunny Leone had an eventful 2015. If she’s not battling an obscenity case filed by a housewife, she’s dealing with ridiculous claims linking her condom ad or with reports of her being thrown out of her apartment. The actress even took everyone by surprise when her brilliant act in Ek Paheli Leela became the talking point and not her super hot bod she so generously flaunted. With so much going, why wouldn’t she be one of the most searched Indian on the internet? The actress, for the second time in a row, has made it to the top spot in the ‘Most Googled Indian of 2015’ list, leaving Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and other A-listers behind.
Sunny Leone launched a DVD by the name Super Hot Sunny Mornings where the actress is seen doing some amazing workouts, while sharing the secrets of the incredible body she possesses
Sunny turned producer for a film where she will be seen playing a superwoman.
Radhe Maa is a fan of Sunny Leone!
A 32-year-old woman, who has accused Radhe Guru Maa (Param Shradhey Mamtamai Shri) of instigating her in-laws to demand dowry from her, has revealed something about the self-styled Godwoman, according to a report on Bollywoodlife.com. The woman has alleged that Radhe Maa dances on Bollywood numbers and is a fan of Sunny Leone. She also claimed to have seen her dancing on Sunny Leone’s dance track ‘Baby doll’.
Slowly and steadily, Sunny Leone found her footing in the film industry. Currently hosting MTV Splitsvilla 8, Sunny Leone thinks without Salman Khan's support and Bigg Boss, she would not be where she is today, reports DNAindia.com.
2016: Refused on-screen kissing
The actress was in the news in 2016 after reports came out that she has decided to not kiss her co-stars on screen. The reports also suggested that Sunny had no qualms about doing intimate scene but won't indulge in smooching or kissing her heroes in any of her future films. However, the actress came up with the most innovative and a sexy way to rubbish all the rumours. Teasing her fans on the social media, Sunny posted a picture of her kissing her husband Daniel Weber and wrote a message that read, "Who said I don't kiss on camera?!?!? Hehe :) @DanielWeber99"
But in fact Sunny Leone had decided to not indulge in on-screen kissing in her future films. Yes, you read that right! The last film that saw Sunny kissing her co-stars on screen was 'Ragini MMS 2' and post that, Sunny hasn't kissed any of her co-actor. However, the actress doesn't mind doing intimate scenes and will continue to do so if the script demands but with a 'no kissing' clause. In fact, one look at her 2016 like 'Ek Paheli Leela,' 'Kuch Kuch Locha Hai,' 'Mastizaade' and 'One Night Stand' and you would realise that the actress has not kissed any of her co-stars in these films although she was seen getting intimate with them.
How she reacts to comments on social media
Sunny Leone has decided to be brave and has responded to some of the comments passed on social media, in an interesting video. From tweets about silicon valley to her husband Daniel Weber, Sunny answers it all smartly. When the actress was compared to Sunny Deol, she mouthed his famous dialogue in her own accent. Responding to a tweet about sending her to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture, Sunny replied, "I don't want to cause anymore turmoil between India and Pakistan." While for another post which asked why she was wearing a saree, Sunny retorted, "I love wearing a saree. Stop being a hater, enjoy the many different outfits I wear."
The professional
When Sunny bathed in 100 litres of milk...
Sunny Leone, known for portraying her boldness on screen, had a mishap while shooting for her upcoming film Ek Paheli Leela in Rajasthan. According to a report on Desimartini.com, Sunny was shooting a sequence where she had to take a bath with 100 litres of milk. Because of the cold temperature in Rajasthan, the milk had to be diluted with hot water and it ended up giving her a few rashes. However, Sunny didn't stop and continued shooting.
According to a report on Indianexpress.com, Sunny Leone fell ill while shooting for Ek Paheli Leela in Rajasthan. The actress was apparently shooting in the desert playing a village belle carrying hay and water from the lake, when she developed an allergy and had rashes all over her body, the report stated. Reportedly, a doctor was called immediately and Sunny was treated on the sets. After a few hours, she resumed the shoot.
Sunny Leone's husband Daniel Weber accompanied the actress on the sets of Ek Paheli Leela everyday. However, the reason why he is chaperoning his wife dearest is quite surprising. According to a report in Mid-day, the actress is petrified of co-actor Mohit Ahlawat's temper. Reportedly, the actor didn't like the manner in which a person on the sets was talking to Sunny and couldn't control his anger. He was so infuriated that he also slapped the person. A source has been quoted in the report as saying that Sunny was so shocked by the entire episode that she retreated to her vanity van and came out only when her security was ensured. And after that day, the actress insists that her husband accompanies her to the shoot everyday.
A profile
India Today, August 3, 2015
Gayatri Jayaraman
The demureness is the springboard to a reinvented respectability. Born Karanjit Kaur Vohra to a Tibetan-Punjabi Sikh father and a Himachali mother, the 34-year-old Los Angeles-based Canadian adult movie actress has been openly bisexually oriented, has undergone breast enhancement, starred in straight and lesbian sex videos, been 'Penthouse Pet of the Month' in March 2001 and 'Hustler Honey' in 2001. From her debut Jism 2 (2012) to her superhit status in Ragini MMS 2 (2014) to the stuck-in-the-cans Mastizaade, she has headlined the adult genre in filmmaking over the past five years. Her production company, Sun Lust Pictures, clearly targets the adult entertainment genre. There is, make no mistake, nothing 'former' or receding about Leone's adultness.
Leone measures her market worth by clicks. That she is hated as much as she is loved, she attributes to analytics. It's the Howard Stern Syndrome, those who hate listen, read or watch more, she says. While Mahesh Bhatt once called her "clever" for not pitching herself to the mainstream space, Leone now clearly is no longer content with the fringe. Unlike the gauche Kaif debut with Boom, Leone came in with a pre-existent fan base. "When I began in 2008, people would come up to me and say 'I'm a fan' and I'd say 'But I just got here!'" she laughs. Her script choices today cater to her existing fan base while accumulating a new demographic. Once a Sunny fan, always a Sunny fan, she explains. Her numbers give her confidence. The film industry says it is what gives her, her delusions. MTV, producers of Splitsvilla which she is now hosting into Season 8, says she definitely boosts viewing. Industry argues that the fan watching her dance at a bachelor party for which she supposedly charges Rs 10 lakh does not translate into the box office numbers that make a Yash Raj Films want to cast you against an A-lister. It will never happen, they say. Leone isn't asking. "I'm creating my own space," she says. She believes her forthcoming One Night Stand in which Tanuj Virwani, Rati Agnihotri's son, makes his debut, and Jasmine D'Souza makes her directorial debut, is her break away from the sex comedy genre. That and Beimaan Love, an underdog story directed by Rajeev Chaudhuri, will propel her into the more serious cinematic environment. The industry dismisses both as "B-grade" work. Tanuj Garg, producer of Ragini MMS 2, says Leone is aware of the fact that it takes time to be taken seriously. Even as she is keenly aware that her pornographic dalliance is voluntary, she chooses now to dissociate. "Based on recent news and weird crazy stuff, I don't have a choice. They've left me no choice but to say the things I've been forced to say because there is a group of people who will do anything to destroy you," she says. She and Weber have gone above and beyond to assimilate into Indian culture, to ensure they do not break laws, to sell or endorse no pornographic material in India, to embrace the Indian way of everything.
From porn to mainstream
The Times of India, January 24, 2016
For three years, Sunny Leone remained a pariah in an image-conscious Bollywood. This week, she became the toast of the industry -and rest of India -for refusing to apologize for her choices We will be interviewing an individual who is loved and loathed in equal meas ure in our country .“ That's how journalist Bhupendra Chaubey opened his disastrous January 15 interview with actor Sunny Leone.Within hours, it was Chaubey who was besieged by a huge wave of loathing and very little love on social media. He insisted that the 34-year-old actor feel “haunted“ by her past as an adult entertainment star. This she refused to do. The result was a 30-minute cringefest which now has close to a million views on YouTube. It also, accidently , reintroduced India to Sunny Leone. For four years now, Sunny Leone has been the most searched for person in India. Yes. She beat Narendra Modi and Salman Khan. So clearly she had the nation's curiosity. But, to quote Colonel Candie from Django Unchained, did she have its respect? In a country where pornography is voraciously consumed but also furiously swept under the carpet, can the porn star ever fully cross over into the mainstream? The problem of course is that the millions who actively fantasise about Leone are also the ones who have written her off as a symbol of moral decay . It's a challenge Leone is acutely aware of. When she came to India, she came with a husband in tow and multiple declarations of monogamy. And she's also famous for focussing almost entirely on lesbian porn, which somewhat inexplicably, doesn't ruffle the feathers of the morality custodians as much. Even so, it's been a tough ride.
“At first, I definitely felt like an elephant in the room, people stare but don't want to say hi. I remember one of the first award shows that I went to, they wanted to put me on stage with another woman or any actor -they all said no,“ she told seasoned journalist Shekhar Gupta recently .
This week, Leone was the toast of Bollywood. Everyone from Alia Bhatt to Rishi Kapoor tweeted support for the actor for fielding offensive questions with such poise. “I will never let anyone get to me. I will never let anyone -man or woman -take me down. It was that spirit in me that made me continue with the interview. Also, if I walked away ,I would prove every doubt he raised about me, everything he suggested about me and my past right. I was never going to let him do that,“ Leone said to Huffington Post.
When Aamir Khan took to Twitter to disprove Chaubey's theory that mainstream male stars wouldn't work with her, he said: “Sunny , I wil b happy 2 wrk wid u. I hav absolutely no problems wid ur “past“ as the interviewer puts it. Stay blessed. Love.“
With that the vindication of Leone was now complete.
Of course, she isn't the first actor to crossover from adult to mainstream entertainment. Sylvester Stallone made his debut in a softcore porn film in the 70s long before Rocky happened. “It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the very end of my rope,“ he told Playboy magazine in 1978.“Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station.“ But Stallone did only one such film under financial duress.Leone has about 56 porn films to her credit with no sad backstory.Sasha Grey , who debuted in Hollywood with Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, is another case in point. But Leone is attempting a crossover in India, which makes her trajectory quite a feat.
As acting goes, the general consensus is that she can't. But in this, let's be fair, she is no different from many talentless star kids who populate the film industry . In the three years since her Bollywood debut, she has had most success with roles that reference her porn career or require her to be sexually explicit in some innuendo-laden way. Because that's how India rolls. This week she has a release, Milap Zaveri's Mastizaade. The trailer has her suggestively telling Tusshar Kapoor, “Tum bhi mera doodh pee sakte ho.“ In the film, she also places coins on men's crotches before saying, “Sikka hila toh fail.“
Sunny’s most popular song-and-dance numbers
5 times Sunny Leone set the screen on fire Jan 31, 2017, The Times of India
Sunny Leone is easily one of the most gorgeous heroines of Bollywood. The actress, who first appeared in 'Jism 2', has acted in a bevy of Hindi films since then. She has also developed a reputation for delivering hit dance numbers right from 'Laila teri le legi' in 'Shootout At Wadala'. Here's looking at five of Sunny's top dance numbers.
'Laila main Laila' from 'Raees':
Popular dialogues, a strong cast and a novel theme, Shah Rukh Khan's much-anticipated 'Raees' had all the elements of a blockbuster. To top it off, the makers complemented the 80s vibe of the film by rehashing Zeenat Aman's 'Laila o Laila' from 'Qurbani'. And they had just the perfect actress to shake a leg to the song - Sunny Leone!
Sunny scorched the screen with her sensuous moves in 'Laila main Laila'. The song created a frenzy all over the country upon its release, and saw audiences dancing along to it in cinema halls. Sure, the song was catchy but it was Sunny's thumkas that stole the show.
'Laila teri le legi' from 'Shootout At Wadala':
The song saw Sunny Leone strut her moves for the first time in a Hindi film, alongside John Abraham and Tusshar Kapoor. The film saw Priyanka Chopra and Sophie Choudry also shaking a leg in two separate songs, but Sunny shone in her dance number where she slipped in three different and tantalizing attires.
'Baby doll' from 'Ragini MMS 2':
Kanika Kapoor became a household name and Meet Brothers were relevant once again, after a forgettable music career in late-2000s. As much success the song brought for the musicians, it was Sunny Leone who took centre stage. The actress made our jaws drop with her gorgeous looks and bold moves. 'Ragini MMS 2' saw her in a central role and the music of the film stayed on top of the charts for months even after the film's release. 'Baby doll' continues to be the toast of wedding processions and sangeet ceremonies all over.
'Chaar botal vodka' from 'Ragini MMS 2':
If Baby Doll wasn't enough, Yo Yo Honey Singh created the perfect club song with his groovy beats and risque lyrics for 'Ragini MMS 2'. The video had Sunny Leone scorching the screen with her oomph and smoothly gyrating to Yo Yo's tunes. 'Chaar botal vodka' had the quintessential rap vibe to it, where Sunny swayed in studded tops and blingy dresses.
Controversies
Top Controversies surrounding Sunny Leone
Controversy surrounding Ragini MMS 2: 'Ragini MMS 2' has raised several eyebrows due to explicit sexual content of the movie. If a shower scene was not enough, there is a kissing scene between actress Sunny Leone and Sandhya Mridul. The movie saw Sunny in a somewhat bold avatar. The content of the movie has led to several protests against the actress. Reports suggest that ahead of Sunny Leone's visit to Indore, Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans and staged protests against the adult star's visit to the city. However, this is not the first time that protests have been staged against the actress. She got similar treatment during the release of her debut 'Jism 2'.
Sunny Leone vs Kapil Sharma: Comedian Kapil Sharma plays the gracious host to Bollywood's biggest stars ahead of the release of their films on his show 'Comedy Nights With Kapil'. However, while Sunny Leone did her best to promote her movie 'Jackpot' in all reality shows, she was missing from 'Comedy Nights With Kapil'. This led to lot of tongues wagging with gossip mongers suggesting that probably Kapil did not want to host the actress due to her past. It was a shocker since actors like Shah Rukh Khan has expressed a desire to work with her and John Abraham too has grooved with her. It made Kapil seem narrow minded. However, now since the actress came with Ekta Kpoor to Kapil's sets, the controversy died a natural death.
Sunny Leone vs Kamaal R Khan: The two former contestants of 'Bigg Boss' got themselves entangled in a legal battle when they made a controversial comment about rape. The adult movie star got herself in trouble when she allegedly posted a controversial tweet on rape. Controversy king Kamaal Khan blew things out of proportion when he tweeted, ""Ye lo... Sunny Leone says - Rape is not a Crime, It's just a Surprise Sex," quoting what he claims to be a tweet she'd posted. However, Sunny denied posting such a tweet and said her account was hacked for five minutes. Sunny then filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell against Kamaal R Khan for falsely attributing controversial comments on rape to her by his Twitter account.
Jism 2 controversies: Sunny Leone's debut movie 'Jism 2' was mired with controversies. It started with allegations that the movie's sensual poster was a copy from a Felix Bendish's visual for a fashion show in 2010. Then there were protests against the vulgarity shown in the movie. Then a PIL was slammed against the actress in the Allahabad High Court. The PIL sought a stay on the release of the film, and challenged the provisions of the law which define the powers of the Censor Board in India. It also objected to the presence of an adult film actress in the movie. The PIL said that the movie had sexually explicit content, and the inclusion of Sunny Leone in the film will have an adverse moral impact on society.
The Bold and the Beautiful: Adult movie star Sunny Leone showed that she is not only a pretty face but has guts as well. She challenged the prudes by saying, "Porn star doesn't mean prostitute." She defended being an adult star and said that it's ignorance that makes people equate adult stars with prostitutes. "I think India doesn't have an adult entertainment industry - that's why people have no idea what it is." Her comments had been blown out of proportion by the media and raised lot of eyebrows.
Sunny Leone controversial stint with Bigg Boss: When the former porn star entered the Bigg Boss house in the fifth season of the show, the inmates had hundred questions in their minds about who she was. However, she managed to keep her real identity a secret and managed to win people's heart by her warm nature and sizzling smile. However, since the people outside the House did know her real identities, it led to all kinds of controversies. Complaints were lodged with the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting alleging that the Colors TV channel was promoting pornography by having the actress appear on the show, which was meant for family audience. Even her sensuous poll dance had irked a lot of people. However, she won admiration when she finally accepted on the show who she was and as a result managed to get a film offer by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.
Running a pornographic website
A resident of Margao, Arun Parulekar, has lodged a complaint with the Margao town police station against cine star Sunny Leone alias Karanjit Kaur Vohra for allegedly running a pornographic website consisting of her own nude photos and videos as reported. Stating that this amounts to an offence under Indecent Representation of Women's Act and section 67 of Information Technology Act 2000, the complainant has urged the police to register an FIR against her. "The pornographic material on the said website is so bad that it immediately awakens the prurient interests of any visitor. The website is free for all. This shows the criminal intention of Sunny Leone..." the complaint reads.
Celina Jaitly’s apartment
Sunny Leone found herself in the middle of a controversy over her apartment that she had rented. Sunny Leone's husband, Daniel Weber, quashed all rumours of him and Sunny Leone being thrown out of their house, owned by Celina Jaitly, reports Bollywoodlife.com. Daniel has said that Sunny is busy shooting for a TV show and films, and is not even in Mumbai most of the times, the report stated. He further added that they have not even completed one year at Celina's home.
FIR in Surat
According to a Mid-day report, an FIR has been lodged against Sunny Leone in Surat. Sunny Leone was in Surat to promote her then upcoming film, Ek Paheli Leela. Her presence in the country's diamond hub resulted in chaos and the venue had to be shifted at the last minute. Apparently, a local, who felt that the former adult star was in the city for a different motive, filed an FIR against her. The reason behind the chaos was attributed to her topless snapshots from a private party that had gone viral April [2014]. Buzz was that it was a bash hosted by a Surat-based diamond merchant on the Mumbai-Pune highway. A source has been quoted in the report as saying that the event was shifted from a five-star hotel to another place. Sunny had flown from Mumbai to Baroda and then reached Surat by road. Fearing trouble, the local organisers reportedly cancelled the original venue at the last minute and shifted the promotions to another hotel.
Some of her work
Sunny Leone did a promotional item song for Meet Bros in 'Dongri Ka Raja' is titled 'Choli Blockbuster.' Sung by Mamta Sharma
Her song ‘Hug me’ (‘Beiimaan Love’) is from the super hit Kanika Kapoor-Sunny jodi that earlier gave us the chartbuster ‘Baby Doll’,. Sung by Kanika Kapoor and composed by Raghav Sachar, ‘Hug me’ also features actor Rajneesh Duggal and Sunny’s husband Daniel Weber in the video.
Sunny Leone is one edgy actress! Not only has she experimented with bold roles in Bollywood, she has also been pretty vocal about her choice, making no bones about any intimate scenes. She has also been open to altering her looks - be it a desi girl or an urban chick, Sunny has done justice to all roles.
Tanuj Virwani, son of actress Rati Agnihotri, was seen with Sunny Leone in 'One Night Stand'. Tanuj was earlier seen in films like 'Luv U Soniyo' and 'Purani Jeans' which didn't do any good to the young actor's career and even failed to make a mark in the Bollywood skyline. According to a report, Tanuj has accepted his failures and admitted that he is aware that he is not a star, and hence, he is banking on the stardom of the actress.
Indian, mainstream filmography
2012 Jism 2
2013 Jackpot
2014 Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya
2014 Bhoot Aaya (TV Series)
2014 C.I.D. (TV Series)
2014 Current Theega
2014 Fear Files: Darr Ki Sachchi Tasveerein (TV Series)
2014 Hate Story2
2014 Pavitra Rishta (TV Series)
2014 Ragini MMS2
2014 Vadacurry
2015 Aahat (TV Series)
2015 Dk
2015 Ek Paheli Leela
2015 Kuch Kuch Locha Hai
2015 Luv U Alia
2015 Singh Is Bliing
2015 Super Girl from China (Video short)
2016 11 Minutes (Short)
2016 Beiimaan Love
2016 Chidiya Ghar (TV Series)
2016 Dongri Ka Raja
2016 Fuddu
2016 Mastizaade
2016 One Night Stand
2017 Raees
