Actress Sunny Leone has shot down claims that she was offered Rs 4 crore to perform live on her song "Laila main Laila" from superstar Shah Rukh Khan's film "Raees" at a New Year party.
She says she would be the 'happiest person' if the news was true.
"I wish that was true. I will be the happiest person on the planet if I was paid Rs 4 crore for my song to perform in Mumbai. I hope it comes true but unfortunately it's not true," Sunny told IANS.
She added: "I am looking forward to perform on this song."
"Laila main Laila" is a rendition of the popular song "Laila ho Laila" from the 1980 film "Qurbani". In the song, Sunny is seen in a desi avatar, sporting a blue lehenga choli.
Set in the 1980s Gujarat, "Raees" tells the story of a bootlegger whose business is thwarted by a tough policeman. The film is produced by Excel Entertainment and Red Chillies Entertainment.
The film also features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and marks the Bollywood debut of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan.
SUNNY LEONE ON SHAH RUKH KHAN, LAILA MAIN LAILA: AN ANSWER TO THOSE WHO SAY BAD THINGS ABOUT ME
Sunny Leone is happy with just a song-based appearance in Raees, Laila Main Laila, and wouldn't mind even if it ended all today. She says she has created a Brand Sunny Leone and will stick by it.
Circa 2003. Shah Rukh Khan’s heart-tugging performance in Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Naa Ho was moving audience not just in India but even in the West (where the film was set up) and one of them happened to be a young Sunny Leone who admits to having cried like many others after watching King Khan die in Kal Ho Naa Ho. “One of the first films that I watched while with my mother was Kal Ho Naa Ho. I knew what was coming, what the dialogues were but still my mother and I would sit and cry,” said Sunny Leone in an exclusive interview with indianexpress.com.
Little did Sunny realise then that her career would take a fast forward turn from the adult industry to Bollywood and she certainly had no inkling that 13 years later, she would be having her own special moment with the Badshah of Bollywood, serenading him while dancing to the iconic tunes of Laila Main Laila.
“I was in disbelief when the call first came from SRK’s team. There were a few things that happened in that same time which were not so nice. My movie didn’t do well, there was this horrible interview that happened.
All those things happened in a row. And then, all of a sudden you get this call.They called my husband Daniel first and he came and told me that SRK wants you to be in one of his movies. I was in disbelief up until the rehearsals. But I am happy. It comes down to myself, Daniel and my team. We have worked so hard. Good things and not so good things have happened this year.
And then the song from Raees happened and it makes me feel if I can do this, anybody who wants to follow their dreams, it is possible for them too. A song with SRK is a proud moment.”
While Sunny may be living her dream for the moment, not too long ago, she was being criticised from various quarters and most of the criticism originated owing to her past association with the adult industry. Sunny weathered the storm with a brave face and decided to let her actions to speak louder than words and aptly considers her moment with SRK in Raees as an answer to all her detractors.
“My moment was about seeing me and SRK together in the same frame for the first. After the shot, I said thank you. It was such an amazing moment. For all those people who would say crazy and bad things and want to bring you down that was the moment when I was like you guys will see this and eat your words.
I believe in working hard. I believe in karma. God took my parents away and immediately after that all these things happened. When my mother passed away, Daniel happened in my life. If you work hard and be persistent, good things will happen. It can’t all be wrong.”
“Everybody has their own journey and everybody has their own steps to take. I created a personality. I created a brand Sunny Leone and will always stick by it. All the decisions made or taken happened for a reason. Everything is a stepping stone to something bigger and better,” said Sunny before signing off.
