KARACHI: Sunny Leone's musical-thriller Ek Paheli Leela released on April 10. Despite being panned by critics for a weak script and even weaker acting, the film has managed to do extremely well for itself, surpassing the collections of Anushka Sharma's NH10 in its first three days alone.
Perhaps this isn't surprising - the prospect of seeing Sunny Leone is a strong box-office draw in itself. The content of the movie is more or less as expected, focusing on smut rather than on meaningful content. Sunny may not be able to emote and she may not be able to dance - but she can definitely deliver the goods that are expected of her and you have to give her full credit for that. You don't have to look further than the song Dhol Baaje for proof.
Still from Ek Paheli Leela
The song has been billed as a recreation of Aishwarya's rendition in Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, but after watching the latest version, one comes to the conclusion that this was like comparing apples to oranges. Sunny Leone is no Aishwarya Rai and it is foolish to expect anything different.
At first glance, it is easy to dismiss Sunny Leone's version as a bad remake, but then you realize that at the end of the day this is all that Sunny can do. Aishwarya is primarily an actress - not a very strong one, but she is more than capable of holding her own in movies which do not make extra-ordinary demands on her. What she lacks in her acting, she definitely makes up with her dancing skills.
She bowled us over with Tu Ramta Jogi in Taal, and it just kept getting better from then on with timeless classics such as Dhol Baaje, Dola Re, Nimbooda, Kajra Re and Barso Re Megha, to name only a few. A cinema-goer who steps in to see an Aishwarya Rai film expects a watchable, family movie, with decent if not fantastic acting and at least one song that can be danced to at a family wedding. Anything else, including a skin-show, is just a bonus.
Watch Aishwarya in Dhol Baaje here:
Sunny on the other hand is a different kettle of fish altogether. She entered Bollywood with all the baggage of an adult-film actress, and has never managed to shed it. Two out of three of her Bollywood films have been erotic thrillers, the third was memorable only for her limited clothing. Her appearances as an item girl in songs such as Laila, Baby Doll and Pink Lips too only serve to cement this reputation. This is what her audiences expect from her, and this is what she serves up.
Compare Sunny's version of Dhol Baaje with Aishwarya's:
Maybe this isn't a bad thing, after all. Every product needs a USP - the one thing that will set you apart from the others and give your target audience a reason to come to you. Sex and erotica are Sunny Leone's USP - and she can't be blamed for wanting to cash in on it.
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