I didn't know who he was: Sunny Leone on meeting Mahesh Bhatt on 'Bigg Boss'

Actor and performer Sunny Leone recently opened up about her remarkable journey in the Indian entertainment industry, which came full circle from her debut on the reality show Bigg Boss to starring in the Bollywood film Jism 2, and now witnessing filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's daughter, Pooja Bhatt, as a contestant on Bigg Boss OTT 2.

Recalling her entry into the Indian entertainment scene, Sunny shared her experience of being a guest contestant on Bigg Boss 5, back in 2011. In her autobiographical web series Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story, she had previously revealed that Mahesh offered her the opportunity to make her Bollywood debut in the film Jism 2 during her time on the show. 

Recalling the moment when Mahesh appeared as a guest on Bigg Boss 5 to offer her the lead role in Jism 2, Sunny expressed disbelief at the time. She admitted that she didn't know much about him, but the enthusiasm shown by others in the house made her realise that he was a significant figure in the film industry. Sunny eventually accepted the offer, and Jism 2 marked her Bollywood debut opposite Randeep Hooda.

“I didn't think it was real," revealed the actor. "I mean at that point, I didn't think it was real. Because I didn't even know who he was. They just said this is so and so from the film industry and everybody else was going bananas in the house. Oh my god, this person is coming into the house, this buzz was happening. I don't know who he is. But he's probably amazing. I mean he is really amazing, I later realised.”

Sunny also seemed to have alluded to the fact that the amount she was paid for the film was more than the amount set for the winner of Bigg Boss 5. However, in a recent Mid-Day interview, Sunny said, “I don't know what [the] Bigg Boss winner makes. What did they make that year? I don't know. I did get paid. I first did not want to go (as a contestant on Bigg Boss 5) for many different reasons. First was safety and not knowing how people would react when I get there. In my head, I was like, okay this is a down payment on the house. Because I didn't see it as a future. I just got married so I was looking forward to a new start of life. So we thought we'll put a down payment on the house. And that's it. It was that simple.”

Recently, Pooja, Mahesh's daughter and the director of Jism 2, entered the Bigg Boss house as a contestant on Bigg Boss OTT 2, which is currently streaming on Jio Cinema. For Sunny, this development seemed like a serendipitous moment as life had come full circle. Attending the show's premiere with Pooja, Sunny couldn't help but marvel at the irony of the situation. From being offered her Bollywood debut by Mahesh on Bigg Boss to witnessing Pooja, the director of her debut film, as a contestant on the reality show, it was a surreal and joyous realization for Sunny. “It's great how life has come a full circle,” Sunny said.

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