Sunny Leone on Kennedy: I was surprised when Anurag Kashyap came to me
Sunny Leone expressed her excitement about Anurag Kashyap’s neo-noir thriller Kennedy and called it a rare film that actually has weight. He shared insights on his intense preparation, the film’s international acclaim and the impressionable nature of his character Charlie.
Sunny Leone says that Anurag Kashyap Kennedy One of those rare movies that “has weight.” The actor who plays Charlie in the neo-noir thriller talks exclusively India Today About her excitement about the film, her initial shock when Kashyap approached her and the intensive preparation she did to shape her character.
Sunny thought KennedyHer journey at international festivals, the audience reaction, and why this role feels like a turning point in her 15-year-long career.
“I’m so excited. You can see I’m ready to jump up and down. But that’s good. I was there for a short time, but at the time, working on this movie was an amazing experience. The amount of hard work that’s gone into it, we’ve been to all these places for this movie, and we’ve had so many different places, countries, festivals, and even feedback from random people. Random people come up and say, ‘I saw Kennedy.’ And you say, ‘You saw it?’ ‘Yes.’ And, you know, it’s very, very exciting. Kennedy Finally found a house. Finally, so excited,” she shared.
‘It’s not about screen time, it’s about impact’
Screen time has never been a priority for Sunny. Instead, she says that what really matters is the impact a character leaves behind.
He added, “That’s exactly the second part of your statement. It’s definitely about what the character is. It’s not about the amount of time on screen; it’s about how impactful that time is in the movie. And I think for me, it was so amazing to be a part of it. When you watch it, it doesn’t feel like I’m there and then I’m gone. It’s there, and then I’m not there, so that way, it makes me feel good because that’s most great movies. Like, it’s not just following one person, there’s a lot of different characters.
He also praised the film’s cast and writing. “The people who are in this movie, what they’ve done is incredible. And some of the funniest dialogue is from people where you’re just thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’ It’s fun to watch.”
‘I was in shock when he called me’
Recalling her first conversation with Anurag Kashyap, Sunny admitted that she was shocked. “I was in shock. I said, ‘You wanted to call me?’ So initially, he called Daniel, and Daniel said, ‘Why are you asking me, brother? You just call Sunny and ask. So when she called, of course, Daniel on the other end said, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing.’ And then he called and said he wanted me to audition for this role.
He said he insisted on auditioning, despite Kashyap telling him it was not necessary. “Of course, I didn’t mind the audition, but I actually had to beg for it because he kept saying, ‘You don’t need this.’ I told him, ‘No, please.’ If it is in English, do not send it, but if it is in Hindi, please send.’ Some words can be tricky. So he sent the lines and I learned them.
Later, Sunny learns that the audition was part of a playful test. “And I didn’t know that all these people in the office, every single one of them, were playing a trick on me. I found out during dinner during Cannes, and they said, ‘Yeah, we played a trick on you. We just wanted to know if you’d come.’ And I said, ‘Are you serious?’ I learned the lines. I was very nervous.”
Becoming Charlie: ‘I laughed everywhere like him’
Sunny revealed that while Kashyap had faith in her, she struggled with self-doubt. “I think they probably believed in the fact that I could do it. I think it was the other way around. Am I going to be able to do it? Am I going to be what they’ve created in their mind and now on paper as Charlie?”
One of the biggest challenges, he said, was identifying Charlie’s distinctive laugh. “One of the things he wanted from the beginning was Charlie to laugh. I said, ‘I don’t know, I’ve never laughed like that in my entire life. Who laughs like that?’ So wherever I went I started laughing like Charlie.
The preparation soon spread into her daily life. “At first, I felt really silly doing it in public, in random places – you name it, I was laughing like Charlie everywhere. My whole team thought I was absolutely crazy. Cuckoo spinning bananas. But for me, I thought, OK, this is the most uncomfortable part of it. Well, it took a really long time to stop laughing like that, because it becomes fun.”
Workshops, Coaching and Confidence
Sunny also talked about the extensive preparation she did for the role. “I wanted to make sure I understood exactly how he wanted me to deliver these dialogues. We did dialogue coaching, we did script readings and workshops, so that definitely helped. And he didn’t change any of my lines, which was great. By the time I got to the set, he made you feel very comfortable.”
‘It seems this role is weighty’
Having spent over 15 years in the industry, Sunny says he has often heard claims that a particular film will “change things”. But KennedyShe feels different, she admits. “Over the last 15 years, I’ve met a lot of people who would say, ‘This film will change things for you.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, sure. Great.’ and then there is Kennedy. There really is weight in that phrase. You want to feel like there’s weight to that phrase, that this is one of those roles that changes things.
He added, “You hope that happens. You’re asked to do roles that really inspire you and change you in positive ways. So, I mean, I hope that happens.”
KennedyStarring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhatt, it is directed by Anurag Kashyap and is set to release on ZEE5 on February 20.
