To suggest that Sunny Leone has come a long way would be a massive understatement.
The actor who started her journey in Indian entertainment as a wildcard contestant in Bigg Boss’s fifth season is now starring in an Anurag Kashyap film. Kennedy is finally releasing in India on ZEE5 & everyone’s curious to see how the actor fits into Kashyap’s cinematic world. Those who’ve seen the film at either of the many film festivals it’s premiered at have only had positive things to say about Leone’s work. As she readies herself for the film’s OTT outing, the actor talks to us about her character, working in reality television, life & journey and even spirituality.
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Edited excerpts:
Your peculiar laugh in the teaser of Kennedy grabbed everyone’s attention
My character Charlie has this laugh in uncomfortable situations. She hides her true feelings behind this chuckle because of what she’s gone through in the past or is now going through. So, it’s a personality quirk, a defense mechanism for her. I hope the enigmatic role will open new doorways for me as an actor.
You’ve been hosting Splitsvilla for a decade now. What’s been your take-away from the show?
The fact that love is love no matter what name you give it. Contestants may want to ‘label’ their relationship but when two people like each other, they just like each other. You can’t call it a ‘situationship’ because the moment the man/woman is drawn to another hell breaks loose, just like it would in any relationship. Everyone wants the validation that he/she’s the first choice and not the second option.
How do you view love and money?
Many couples fight over money. But I can only tell you from my experience with my husband Daniel (Weber). I’m always the one who says it’s okay if a certain business doesn’t do well. Even if we have to change career paths, it’s okay. I’m okay with living simple. We have raised our children in such a way that family is first. They just want our time. That doesn’t cost money. I have lost my parents. Daniel has lost his father. We know what it feels like to not have them around. Yeah, money does ease burdens. But if it all went away, it’s also okay. We’ll figure out what to do next.
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What makes your marriage tick?
Daniel and I are on the same page when it comes to having mutual trust and not doing anything behind each other’s back. It’s clichéd to say that he’s my best friend but Daniel truly is! We may not agree on everything. But our core personalities and how we view life and family are the same.
What have the children added to your life?
My entire day revolves around my kids. Daniel and I love being around them. There’s going to come a point where they will say, ‘We don’t want you to attend this event, we’re big kids now… blah, blah, blah.’ Until then, we want to be around them more than they want to be around us.
As a woman in a so-called man’s world what would you want daughter to know?
I would never want to say it’s a man's world. Rather, I’d tell her it’s her world. I don't believe in these gender phrases that make it difficult for young women. We don’t need to put these negative things in their minds. I believe she’s going to soar no matter what. On my part, I have to provide her with information on how to protect herself and be a smart young lady. My biggest job is to raise my children to be good human beings. They should be empathetic and not hurt anyone. My children are very much in tune with how I feel.
What makes you say that?
The other day when Daniel was in Texas, I was having an extremely stressful day. My children sensed that. They ended up doing the sweetest thing for me. They lit up candles, set up the singing bowls (used during meditation) and began playing ‘spa’ music... They made flowers out of Lego and made a card for me. One wanted to give me a hand massage. I was in tears. I don’t remember the last time someone did this for me.
Have you become spiritual through the years?
I guess I’ve always been spiritual. I grew up in a Sikh household where we visited a gurudwara twice a week. I also studied in a Catholic school, so I learned about another religion. We live in India now and we’re learning about another religion. At the end of the day, it’s all about being good human beings.
Where do you get your resilience from?
I’m not resentful about the bad that happened to me or of the people who hurt me. That doesn’t mean that I necessarily forgive them. But I remove myself from these situations. My defense mechanism is to separate myself from negative energy. I’m fine with letting people go. I’m okay with having a few friends. They protect me emotionally.
What would you tell your younger self?
Buckle your seatbelt. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. But I promise there’s a rainbow at the end of this journey.