Former adult film star Sunny Leone wants to shed her bold avatar and focus on doing movies that will get her noticed as an actress.

With her choice of films like ‘Jism 2’ and ‘Ragini MMS 2’ Sunny Leone has been tagged as a bold actress and now she wants to change that image.

“I am ecstatic at the response that my songs and scenes from ‘Ragini MMS 2’ have received. While I loved doing all of this, I now want to explore the actor within me,” Sunny said.

The 32-year-old said that ‘Ragini MMS 2’ will be her last erotica in Bollywood as she wants to take a break from ‘horrex’ (horror and sex) movies.

“Sex and horror is a lethal combination. They are proven sellers. When oomph is combined with horror, it creates an entirely new experience for fans of the genre,” Tanuj Garg, CEO, Balaji Motion Pictures said.

Directed by Bhushan Patel and produced by Ekta Kapoor, ‘Ragini MMS 2’ releases on March 21.

A year and a half after 1920-Evil Returns, which was a successful sequel to Vikram Bhatt’s 1920, Bhushan Patel is back with another sequel of his directorial career, Ragini MMS 2.

MUST READ: I want to shed my bold avatar post Ragini MMS 2, says Sunny Leone

While the promos of the film as well as a major part of the marketing campaign has focused on Sunny Leone’s star value, Bhushan promises that behind all the glamour and erotica, there is a horror element in the offering with a definite story to be told. Excerpts:

Why so much stress on the ‘horrex’ element when such horror would have been good enough to entice its loyal audience?
Because that’s a concept which is being introduced in the Indian market now! Yes, there have been films with sex and horror combination before but primarily in a Ramsay set up. To entice today’s generation of audience across all centers, the combination has to be shot, presented, promoted and marketed in a certain way. The promise of sex to horror-loving fans is a huge incentive.

Ragini MMS – 2 appears to be going overboard in this direction.
It is by intent! Somehow in this country that we live in, sex and lust as is not considered moral. However, horror and sex go hand in hand when it comes to Ragini MMS – 2. The promos are promising that because I want to sell what I am showing in the film. If visuals like these can titillate as well as scare you, you would enjoy the film.

How are you correctly packaging this aspect of Sunny in the film?
Sunny is my film’s USP and you will see her in different avatars. As a matter of fact, she was always there in the film and came in even before I was signed. People ask me about how she has come across as an actor, considering this is a horror setup. Well, for starters, it is not fair to think that acting is not required for horror films. There are all the facets of acting required here too. With Sunny it was a little difficult to begin with since Hindi is not her first language. Still, she worked very hard. For ‘Baby Doll’, she rehearsed for ten days. She is a director’s actor. I am more than happy with the way she has performed.

Sunny seems to be quite high on the film’s climax. No pun intended!
(Laughs) Well, climax is the high point of any film, and no pun intended here too. On a serious note, what happens is that if your entire film is good but the climax is drab, people step out of a theatre with disappointment. Especially in a horror movie, the climax has to be the scariest. In that aspect, Sunny totally understood the requirement. She has done very well in the climax. She was pulled and pushed around in the harness but she enjoyed these moves as well (smiles)!

In a novel way of promoting a film, a remix version of hit song ‘Palat’ from Varun Dhawan’s upcoming film ‘Main Tera Hero’ will be shown in place of the trailer along with ‘Ragini MMS 2’.

The song ‘Palat’ from David Dhawan’s forthcoming film ‘Main Tera Hero’ has emerged as a chartbuster with audience.

For the first time in Bollywood, the entire song will be attached as a trailer to another film.

Balaji Motion Pictures, instead of attaching the trailer of ‘Main Tera Hero’, have attached the remix of ‘Palat’ with ‘Ragini MMS 2’ which releases this week.

‘Main Tera Hero’, featuring Varun Dhawan, Illena D’Cruz and Nargis Fakhri in the lead, is produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and releases on April 4.

The makers of actress Sunny Leone starrer ‘Ragini MMS 2’ have decided to open the film credits with montages of Hanuman Chalisa.

Previously too, ‘Ragini MMS’ (2011) contained the prayer revealing producer Ekta Kapoor’s superstitious side.

“Ekta believes that the incorporation of the prayer has been lucky and will ward off any unwanted negativity against the film given its horrex (horror and sex) genre,” sources said.

“The film will begin with a special montage of scenes from the original cut to the auspicious Hanuman Chalisa,” sources added.

Directed by Bhushan Patel, the film also stars Sandhya Mridul, Parveen Dabas, Saahil Prem and Divya Dutta. It releases on March 21.

Seductress Sunny Leone’s character takes an evil turn in Ragini MMS2. The makeover happens towards the climax which was shot in Mumbai. For this, Leone had to wear a different set of outfits, a scary wig, decayed teeth and dark, smokey make-up which would completely change her look, and everyone around her would be unable to recognise the actress. “I would always forget how I look while shooting. I remember, someone had brought a toddler on the sets and in between shots, I was told that they wanted me to click a picture with him. I ran, hugged the child and went on to pose, only to realise that the mother was shocked to see me as I still had that scary make-up on,” mentioned Leone, adding that somehow the child wasn’t scared at all, although several people on the sets would often run away thinking it was a real ghost.
The prosthetic make-up would take anywhere between three to four hours. Metallic paint was used on the face, before applying heavy kajal and strokes of black paint. The colour of her teeth were turned into a mix of fungae green and yellow. Several coats of paint were also used on Leone’s body. The make-up was done by three artists, but the team was headed by a lady artist, whom Leone lovingly refers to as GP. “Her husband is popular for prosthetic make-up. She used to keep asking her husband for tips and everyone on the sets believed that she has done a fabulous job,” stated Leone. In addition to the make-up, the audience will see some 3-D work, done to enhance those scenes where Leone appears in her ghostly avatar.

The tunes in this Sunny Leone-starrer may not be perfect in terms of musicality, all of it is even cheesy.

With most popular composers of today struggling to give us real chartbusters, producer Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS 2 has the TV queen firing on all cylinders. That she has a music sense was clear in The Dirty Picture. This time she brings together the most unknown and unpredictable names (except Yo Yo Honey Singh) and gives Ragini MMS 2 some perfect little touches. At least in terms of music. The tunes in this Sunny Leone-starrer may not be perfect in terms of musicality, all of it is even cheesy, but what works for this one is the catchy melody, unique voices and those heady beats.

The album opens with Baby doll main sone de. A cracker of a track, it sticks from the moment the first hook hits us. One of the more vibrant item numbers after Munni, the star of the song is Kanika Kapoor, the raw texture of whose slightly shrill voice sounds right out of a ladies sangeet in the interiors of Punjab. There is also a Zandu Balm reference (second in the history of Bollywood music, first one being in Munni) in a coarsely crafted one liner that goes Laava Zandu balm je nachde pai jan thamka. What’s more interesting is the track’s orchestration, which is quite contemporary as all the beats have come out of an octopad. The trademark tumbi is the only Punjabi folk instrument, which rings throughout.

There is Yo Yo Honey Singh’s eulogy to alcoholism called Char bottle vodka, which shifts between buoyant and bittersweet. The infectious groove that borrows from dubstep, has an intoxicating beat and few lines of rap.

Main khud ko by Zahid Mustafa is a simple, romantic ditty, which opens with a soft sarod prelude. Mustafa sounds fine but not convincing enough. Soon the chorus sound better. A decent composition, the song craves an Arijit Singh and his smooth vocals. Enter Kshitij Tarey and his classically trained voice in the reprise version.

Overall the attempt to bring in a host of composers gives us a broth with various fun flavours. But then it only has four songs, two of them with an extra version and one with not much value.
— Suanshu Khurana

Movie lovers are in for a treat this Friday with four releases – Sunny Leone’s horror thriller ‘Ragini MMS 2’, ‘Mahie Gill and Sharman Joshi’s comedy horror, ‘Gang of Ghosts’, Nagesh Kukunoor’s hard-hitting ‘Lakshmi’ and Sanjay Mishra’s ‘Ankhon Dekhi’.

Read Review: Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi

Former adult-film actress Sunny Leone’s ‘Ragini MMS 2’ is said to be both thrilling and sexy. The sequel to 2011 film ‘Ragini MMS’, the Sunny Leone starrer will continue the story from the prequel, following Ragini’s escape from the haunted house.

Much hype has been created about the Ekta Kapoor film, which, is said to be based on the lines of Hollywood horror, ‘The Blair Witch Project’.

MUST READ: I want to shed my bold avatar post Ragini MMS 2, says Sunny Leone

Sunny Leone, who has previously acted in ‘Jism 2’ has gone all out in terms of her raunchy seductive act in the film. Her songs ‘Baby Doll main Sone ki’ and ‘Char Bottle Vodka’ by Yo Yo Honey Singh are already topping the charts

Directed by Bhushan Patel, ‘Ragini MMS 2’ also features Saahil Prem, Parvin Dabas, Sandhya Mridul, Divya Dutta and Soniya Mehra.

The second exciting release of this week is Satish Kaushik’s ‘Gang of Ghosts’, which is expected to be quite a laugh riot.

‘Gang of Ghosts’ is a remake of Bengali film ‘Bhooter Bhabishyat’, which tells the tale of a group of ghosts who haunt a newly constructed shopping mall, that has replaced an abandoned house, where the spirits previously resided.

The film will also mark Priyanka Chopra’s cousin, Meera’s Bollywood debut.

Directed by funnyman Satish Kaushik, ‘Gang of Ghosts’ also stars Sharman Joshi, Mahie Gill, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav and Chunky Pandey among others.

If you’re looking for something more serious, ‘Dor’ director Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Lakshmi’ also releases today featuring singer Monali Thakur in the lead role. Monali came into the limelight for doing the playback for song ‘Zara Zara Touch Me’ of the film, ‘Race’.

Based on the evil truth of human trafficking and child prostitution, ‘Lakshmi’ is based on the true story of a young teenage girl, Lakshmi, who has been abducted and forced into horrifying acts that leave her broken, yet she evolves into a strong mature young woman who is eventually served justice.

‘Lakshmi’ also stars actress Shefali Shah, television actor Ram Kapoor and Nagesh Kukunoor himself, who will be seen in the role of a pimp.

The final release for this week is ‘Ankhon Dekhi’, which revolves around the life of a man and his family in old Delhi. Directed by Rajat Kapoor, ‘Ankhon Dekhi’ features Sanjay Mishra, Rajat Kapoor, Namit Das and Seena Pahwa.

Actress Sunny Leone today said that she has no problems in doing television serials.

“If anybody comes to me with a proposal, then I will not reject it. I will definitely work in it,” said Sunny, 32, who arrived here for the promotion of her latest film
‘Ragini-MMS 2’.

On the protests against the film at some places, the actress said, “Those who want to watch the film should watch it. Those against it should not watch it.”

Answering a question on exposing, she said it was ubiquitous in foreign films too. “I am a very hard-working woman and also a good wife,” she said.

Sunny denied that there were any strains in her relations with the producer Ekta Kapoor.

Adult filmstar turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone’s latest venture ‘Ragini MMS 2‘ has got an overwhelming response. Hundreds of people have queued up to catch the sultry Sunny Leone in the horror-sex film.

The opening response to Ragini Mms 2 at multiplexes and single screens was also heartening. A superb start and positive word of mouth has placed the film in a comfortable zone.

A long queue was also seen outside the Regal movie hall in New Delhi.

Film critic Taran Adarsh also said, “Ragini MMS 2 has a solid start at the ticket window. Despite India vs Pakistan cricket match making a dent in biz, Friday total is impressive.”

Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta, praising Sunny leone said that ‘she can carry a scene’. Shubhra Gupta writes, “…she can carry a scene: maybe not ‘porn se Rituparno’ just yet (another example of the dialogue that fits the tone of this film like another kind of sheath), but not half bad.

Talking about the film, Shubhra Gupta says, “…there are a couple of scenes that send a shiver down your spine, but then it all becomes familiar. A little more attention to that, and to the storyline, and this will become a solid franchise.”

Former adult film star turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone’s recent release ‘Ragini MMS 2’ has hit a bullseye at the box office and managed to earn over Rs 24 crore in its opening weekend. (Read review: Ragini MMS 2)

The movie, which is a sequel to the hit 2011 film ‘Ragini MMS‘, has witnessed a steady growth in numbers over the weekend.

“#RaginiMMS2 *opening weekend* Rs 24.5 cr nett. India biz. Extraordinary!,” tweeted film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

The movie, which was released on Friday (March 21), remained unaffected by the India-Pakistan match T 20 match, and managed to do good business.

“#RaginiMMS2 Fri 8.43 cr, Sat *est* 7.50 cr. India biz only… ₹ 24 cr to ₹ 25 cr nett weekend on the cards. Excellent!,” he further tweeted.

There were long queues of people seen outside theatres on Saturdays and Sundays in national capital New Delhi.

Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta also praised Sunny Leone and wrote: “Sunny Leone fits her part like her tight sheaths, and makes ‘Ragini MMS 2’ Bollywood’s first unabashed adult sex-horror flick.”

Q. 1 What was it that compelled you to join the adult entertainment industry?

No one pushed me into this. A local agent, back home, approached me and as a teenager, it all looked so cool. Having enough money to spend, without asking your parents for it and spending it on all things nice is a dream come true for any teen. I did have fun and honestly, I have no regrets about it.

Q. 2 Before coming here, what was your perception about the adult film industry in India?

The only thing I knew was that India has one of the largest red light districts in the world. I have never been there and I didn’t have any perceptions about it. I had absolutely no clue about the adult industry here, nor did I bother to know about it since the priority for me was to establish myself as a film actress. I didn’t want to go through the same old drill again.

Q. 3 You had once mentioned that the adult entertainers in America are much respected as a genre, as compared to India. Do you still stand by that statement?

I don’t want to compare the two industries now, because that issue is not important anymore. But I always stand by the statements made by me. Adult entertainers are looked at differently here and so anything beyond that will make things very controversial (laughs).

Q. 4 Is there a conscious effort to avoid doing adult films and concentrate on something different?

Of course! Who wants to stick around doing the same thing? I want to make my mark as an actress in the industry and do good projects.

Q. 5 So is it true that you are not comfortable any longer with adult entertainment as a genre?

To be honest, it was a part of my past, so I don’t want my past to spring up again and again. I want the industry to recognise my acting potential and know that I can do a lot more than just dance on songs with seductive moves. I don’t want to restrict myself to a specific genre, because I have always been excited about experimenting.

Q. 6 But wasn’t your last film, Ragini MMS 2, an adult thriller?

Well, my definition of an adult film is completely different from some people here think. When I signed Ragini MMS 2, the film stood out because of its horror elements. It came as a challenge for me to step into a new genre. I had never done something like this and after this, you will seldom see me doing the same thing again. Variety is the spice of life, isn’t it?

Q. 7 Is that the reason why you chose Tina and Lolo, an action film as your next?

Of course! Very few know that I love action. Doing physically challenging activities and performing stunts gives me an adrenaline rush. In Tina and Lolo, I will seen doing some really serious stunts. While people sulk when they are down with bruises and injuries, I just fell in love with that feeling.

Q. 8 What is the biggest high of doing an out-and-out action film?

Being on the harness, for sure. I have several stunts in the film where I had to jump, kick and fly. And hanging in the air with the harness on, is the best feeling ever. It’s amazing when you have got a bunch of guys to hit. I think that is one reason why I love this genre.

Q. 9 Speaking of experimenting with genres, is there anything in particular that you are keen on exploring?

I would love to work in a comedy. There is something about that genre which is really exciting. I truly believe that making people laugh is not that easy, so trying my hand at this genre and making people definitely laugh tops my bucket list. In fact, I don’t mind doing an action-comedy. That would be a perfect mix of two genres that I love.

Q. 10 Is there anyone in particular that you would like to work?

Shah Rukh Khan because I think his comic timing is brilliant. Or maybe, Salman Khan. That would be a good mix of action and comedy.

Sunny Leone is in seventh heaven. Her new film ‘Ragini MMS 2’ opened to a thundering box office response that left even the lady herself bewildered and stunned.

“To be quite honest, I didn’t expect this kind of a response. ‘Ragini MMS 2’ has gone beyond all our expectations. That feels good. I feel I’ve been acceptedby audiences. It’s a nice feeling,” confesses Sunny as she heads to the Mumbai airport to catch a flight to the US to be with her family.

The naysayers and the morcha brigade have been pretty actively campaigning against Sunny’s presence in Bollywood.

Sunny says she is not overly perturbed or hurt by the attack by the moral police. “Hurt would be a strong words. But yes, I am surprised by how vehement the naysayers are in their opposition.I have nothing against them. But I want them to know I am working hard to make a career, just like everyone else in every profession. And Ragini is the answer to all those who thought I could do only one thing.”

The “one thing” is a sportingly self-deprecatory reference to her past history as a adult-content star that Sunny is not denying. “Everyone has a past. We all grow from one level to another. I don’t understand why it is so difficult for some people to accept that I’ve made a natural progression from one phase in my life to another. Now I’m working very hardon my career as a Bollywood actress, though I am a long way from getting a hang of it. I only wish some elements would be more open-minded about my intentions.”

Sunny’s next level is her language.

She laughs, “Did I sound like I had dubbed for myself in ‘Ragini MMS 2’? Congratulate the girl who dubbed for me. She made a very honest effort to sound like me. I did want to dub my own lines in Ragini. But there were too many things happening at the same time. We all took a call that it was best to let it go andto let someone more skilled with the Hindi handle my lines.”

She promises we will hear her in her own voice in her next film. “In ‘Tina & Lolo’, you will hear me speak in my own voice. I promise you my Hindi would be acceptable. It is very important for me to keep growing. I am constantly working towards improving myself. The effort shows in ‘Ragini MMS’, I think.”

Sunny says she is still trying to get comfortable in the Bollywood environment. “Mumbai and Bollywood are my new home. I have my own residence, my own car and my own staff in Mumbai. Now when I go to the US I don’t feel I am going ‘home’. It’s like I’m going for a holiday and I’ll be back home in no time at all.”

Celebrations are on the cards for the unexpected success of ‘Ragini MMS 2’.

Says Leone, “I feel we need to celebrate a success of this magnitude. How to celebrate, I’ll decide when I am back from the US. But I have to confess I am not much of a party goer. You will hardly ever find me at parties in Bollywood. So far I’ve been too busy working on improving myself to bother with interacting with people. Maybe after my Hindi I will work on improving my social skills.”

Former adult film star turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone refuted rumours of differences with her husband Daniel Weber and said that she was deeply and madly in love with him.

There have been reports in media that Sunny Leone was going to divorce her husband and manager Daniel.

But contrary to the rumours, Sunny Leone posted a picture of hers partying with Daniel and spending good time with him in US. Sunny Leone is currently in the US celebrating the success of ‘Ragini MMS 2’.

Sunny Leone tweeted: “Absolutely unbelievable at how many lies R coming out this week.Don’t believe everything UR reading.Loving my vacation w/husband and family!”

The actress further tweeted: “I am completely and madly in love with @DanielWeber99”

Sunny Leone made her Bollywood debut in 2012 with ‘Jism 2’ and since then has taken the Hindi film industry by storm. She is currently working on an action flick ‘Tina and Lolo’ and also plans to work in TV.

Former adult film star turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone will host the upcoming seventh season of popular reality show ‘Splitsvilla’. Splitsvilla, aired on MTV India, is based on the American dating reality show ‘Flavor of Love’.

Sunny Leone, 32, has decided to return to the small screen as the host of MTV Splitsvilla and will replace actress Sherlyn Chopra for the upcoming (seventh) season of the dating show, a source said.

The ‘Ragini MMS 2‘ star had earlier participated in the fifth season of reality show ‘Bigg Boss’. “She is doing the show this season. She will be hosting the show and will be seen on regular basis (on the show). Every time we try something new for every season, we thought getting her (Sunny) was a good idea for the show,”a source said.

The reality show revolves around young boys and girls trying to secure a place in Splitsvilla which is a ‘Villa’. It is a ‘hunt for love’ show where they compete in tasks to stay in the competition and mingle with contestants to find love.

In the end, a boy and a girl are crowned the winners of Splitsvilla (they are a couple.) It is yet not known, how many contestants will be part of the show this season.