Sunny Leone, in an exclusive interview with Firstpost’s Zinia Bandyopadhyay, revealed overcoming four slip discs during Kennedy’s shoot, with Anurag Kashyap incorporating her neck brace into a scene. After festival buzz and delays, Kennedy streams on Zee5 from February 20.
After a three-year-long wait, Kennedy is finally ready to meet its audience. And, for Sunny Leone, the journey has been nothing short of emotional. In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost’s Zinia Bandyopadhyay, the actor reveals that she had four slip discs while shooting for the film, but she pushed through the pain. She also shared an anecdote from the shoot where director Anurag Kashyap decided to let her keep her neck brace on.
Sunny Leone shares interesting anecdote from Kennedy shoot
During the conversation, Sunny Leone shared, “There’s a scene where I’m wearing a neck brace. I actually had four slip discs at the time. The pain was intense.”
When Kashyap noticed her condition, he incorporated it into the film. “He said, ‘Let’s use this in the scene.’ I was like, okay, at least the brace made my neck feel better,” she says.
Despite the injury, Leone continued shooting, managing pain through physiotherapy, icing, exercises, and rest. “You can’t take heavy medication because you need to stay mentally sharp,” she explains.
‘Every time someone asked Kennedy kab aara hai, it hurt’
For Sunny Leone, the delay in Kennedy’s release felt deeply personal.
“Every time someone said, ‘Kennedy kab aara hai?’ it was like a prick in my heart,” she admits. “You have no answer. That’s the hardest part.”
The film, which premiered at international film festivals and received glowing responses, especially at the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), took nearly three years to find a theatrical home.
“We had such an amazing response at MAMI. They even added extra shows. People were sitting on the stairs and in the aisles just to watch the film. So we knew there was buzz. That’s why it was heartbreaking when it still didn’t have a release plan,” she shares.
Through the uncertainty, her husband Daniel Weber remained her pillar of support.
“He kept telling me, ‘Every film finds its home. Don’t worry.’ And he was right. Now it finally has one.”
Why Kennedy will surprise audiences
Leone believes Kennedy will stand apart from conventional Hindi cinema.
“It’s not the norm. It sits in that interesting, thought-provoking space people expect from Anurag sir,” she says. “You’re constantly trying to connect dots. It stays with you.”
As the film finally prepares to release, Leone is relieved and hopeful.
“We’re just excited to finally share it with the world.”
Kennedy will be streaming on Zee5 from February 20.
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