Biggest risk I've taken is coming to India, says Sunny Leone

On April 11, seven-month-old Juggernaut Books went from bullish tot to coup-staging sprinter. Its 2016 catalogue, featuring the likes of Arundhati Roy, Prashant Kishor and Svetlana Alexeivich, would also include (disgraced) former Goldman Sachs director, Rajat Gupta. In getting to publish a tell-all about his white collar steeplechase, Juggernaut may have turned seasoned Indian publishers into green-eyed monsters.

This is not about that deal.

Juggernaut launched its official Android app on Friday, with iOS to follow shortly. Of its 50 original, mobile-first titles, one is an exclusive 12-story set of "passion and play" (to be released in two batches of seven and five) – featuring, among others, one night (stand) at a call centre, a nervous entrant to the Mile High Club ('7E') and a sexual samaritan who waits for the right time to sleep with his lover ('Cinema Hall').

At less than 3,000 words apiece and writing more vanilla soft serve than Karamel Sutra, this compilation isn't pretending to be erotica. The audience is everywoman with little time or inclination to read. With one story released each night at 10 p.m., time will tell if the collection will have more takers than Rajat Gupta's memoirs.
This is Sunny Leone's Sweet Dreams.

Leone, unlike others in the film fold, is a stickler for promptness. So in a corner room on the fourth floor of a suburban hotel, the 11:30 a.m. interview begins on the dot.

Edited excerpts:

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When and how did Sweet Dreams happen? When did the process start?

The process started late last year. Juggernaut said 'We have this idea, and we'd like you to do 12 short stories in this genre'. From there, my husband (and manager, Daniel Weber) and I talked about whether I could do it on top of growing my brand. Because you can't just make movies to grow a brand.

Your brand spans an app (Teen Patti with Sunny Leone), a perfume line (Lust), workout DVDs, and a Box Cricket League team (Chennai Swaggers). Any additions on the roster?

A second line of perfumes. I know it's really soon because the first one just came out (laughs), but this is how the market works. I will also be merchandising cosmetics.

The perfume was something I really wanted to do. One night in Los Angeles, I told Daniel, "Why don't we do a perfume? We know all the right people, so let's look into getting into this together."

But building a brand and diversifying and promoting it – aside from acting – must be excessively taxing.

It's more exhausting for my team than for me. My husband has the hardest job. He allows me to be Sunny Leone.

Yeah, you'd once said in an interview that Daniel has to filter out all the...

(mouths the word 'bull****')

...Bull****.

He does. We get so many offers for movies, songs, you name it. But because we are not from this industry, we don't know who's legit and who's not. He has to work with a certain process and filter out some of these people (laughs).

Have you timed Sweet Dreams to coincide with the release of your upcoming film, One Night Stand?

That wasn't strategic. Swiss Entertainment Pvt Ltd. (the banner behind One Night Stand) and others were bouncing back and forth with dates. With movies, as you know, it's do or die on Fridays, so picking the right date is very important.

But I guess this would be a good coincidence.

What was the last good book you read?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I finished the whole series (Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy) in one go.

You claim to be quite the nerd. What's the nerdiest thing you've ever done?

I crochet blankets for my friends. Some people think that's really dorky. And I still play video games.

The last dorky thing I did was during the shoot of the song Laila O Laila (for Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming Raees). I stepped out of my van to meet people with these ugly curlers on my head. Later, I thought, ‘God Sunny, your embarrassing moments keep adding up’.”

I'm not the cool kid.

You were part of a woman's soccer league in California, weren't you?

Yes, in Sacramento. And I played hockey. I was more of a tomboy, the kind who played with G.I. Joes instead of Barbies. I also took horseback riding lessons in southern California. But I had the laziest, smartest horse who just wouldn't move (laughs).

What's the biggest risk you've taken that has paid off? 

The biggest risk was coming to India. When the offer first came to me for Bigg Boss, I'd immediately said no. But they got back with a presentation, and Daniel and I did some research and Googling. I realised that if I didn't take this leap of faith, it would be one of the biggest mistakes I'd ever made.

Has this risk paid off?

Yeah, and how! My whole life has changed.

And a risk that hasn't paid off?

Some of the movies I've done in the past haven't done well.

The ones here or the Hollywood films you were in (The Girl Next Door, The Virginity Hit, Pirate's Blood)?

Yeah, those were interesting... (laughs).

When you choose movies, you don't know what's going to work and what isn't. If something doesn't do well, it doesn't feel good, obviously (referring to Kuch Kuch Locha Hai). But you learn from such experiences.

You have a lot of kid fans.

Oh, that's been interesting, especially since Baby Doll came out. All of a sudden, I had a new set of fans who were under-18s.

When I was in Nepal once, there was a little girl about this high (gestures to waist-level) who followed me everywhere. When I finally spoke to her, she burst out into Baby Doll. It was so endearing. But I was like, 'Shouldn't you be home?' (laughs).

Your film Tina and Lolo has been held up for quite a while...

Yeah, we are trying to figure out dates and few other things, because we need to make the film current again. Some reshooting may be required. But I hope it gets done. It's a cute film.

I came across an interesting anecdote, from back when you were in the US. About you emptying a beer can over a guy who slapped your behind.

(Smiles wryly).

What advice would you give girls on handling creeps?

It depends on the situation. If somebody is verbally being rude and obnoxious, you either fight it or ignore it. Although, such people have no manners or respect for women. So it's not like they are going to change if you yell at them. It's something taught by their parents.

Have you had to contend with more such Neanderthals in your life?

Not much. I've lived in a bubble, so it's rare to meet someone who's obnoxious. If I'm walking in LA, there are so many good-looking people, nobody looks at me. I'm very casual there. I don't even really need to dress up.

What do you miss most about the US?

My dogs, my family, my friends. Especially my dogs (Lilu and Chopper).

Speaking of. You are quite the animal lover, tweeting and retweeting so much on animal abuse.

Because animals can't say, 'Don't do this to me'. Like what happened to Shaktimaan (throws hands up in exasperation). Okay, regardless of whether he was hit or not, that man (BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi) spooked the horse by waving (a stick) at him. You are endangering people by agitating a large animal who was forced to move back, then tripped and broke a leg.

It's beyond ridiculous. It frustrates me.

Any other social causes that are important to you?

The anti-smoking campaign I did ('No Smoking', with Alok Nath and Deepak Dobriyal) is close to my heart.

I watched my father die of cancer. I believe smoking was the cause. He had oesophageal cancer, but it wasn't the cancer that killed him. It was the withdrawal from smoking for so long. His lungs couldn’t breathe on their own even after surgery...

(Pauses to compose herself)

They put him in a kind of contraption after he developed pneumonia. He was being turned around, over and over (to help him breathe). He didn't get up after that.

What's the one thing the adult film industry taught you that no other vocation perhaps could?

That business is business. It doesn't matter what field you are in: you must stay professional and move forward, see how you can grow and excel.
You know, for my site, I learned html, photo and video editing, how to build a TGP (thumbnail gallery post) section...

So you became even more of a dork?

Haha, yeah! And I learned so much from that industry. I was never treated poorly.

What's the one question or talking point you wish was asked of you? And what would your answer to that question be?

I have no idea! Daniel, you have a suggestion?

(Weber, who's been behind the room partition all this while, looks on: "That's hard to answer.")

Maybe this question (laughs). Oh man, I've pretty much been an open book. People ask me crazy stuff. Daniel, any suggestions?

Daniel: Well, yesterday someone asked her something and I was like, 'Wow, in the eight years I have known you, nobody has ever asked that question.'
Sunny: What question? Tell me.
Daniel: It's already been asked now, so that's not the answer to this question.
Sunny: What?
Daniel: It was something about... (thinks) I can't remember right now. I guess it wasn't interesting enough.
Sunny: I don't know! Next question, next question.

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