Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has revealed that casting Sunny Leone in the 2012 erotic thriller Jism 2 was never a carefully planned move but rather a “chance occurrence.”
Speaking on a recent podcast, Bhatt reflected on how Sunny Leone, who made her Bollywood debut with the Pooja Bhatt-directed film, eventually landed the role. Jism 2 was the sequel to the 2003 hit Jism, which starred Bipasha Basu and John Abraham.
According to Bhatt, the turning point came when Colors TV introduced Sunny Leone as a wildcard contestant on Bigg Boss 5. Her appearance on the reality show sparked widespread debate due to her background in the adult entertainment industry.
Bhatt said his friend Raj Nayak suggested casting Leone in one of his films. However, he admitted he initially had concerns, fearing protests outside their Mumbai office and shooting locations if she were signed.
Despite the controversy, Jism 2 performed well at the box office. Bhatt, however, believes the film failed to live up to the enormous expectations created by Leone’s popularity.
Reflecting on the film’s release, Bhatt criticized what he described as society’s “hypocrisy.” He recalled that a film distributor bought the movie for a surprisingly high price before even watching it.
“I told him, ‘Either you’re a fool, or there’s something in the film that I’m not seeing. Why would you pay so much without even watching it?’” Bhatt recalled.
According to Bhatt, the distributor replied that Sunny Leone was the most searched woman on Google in India at the time, and that her popularity alone guaranteed the film’s commercial potential.
Bhatt argued that the gap between the hype surrounding Leone and the film’s actual performance ultimately contributed to Jism 2 falling short of the lofty expectations created before its release.
