Storm in a teacup

Dilip Mehta cannot understand why Sunny Leone has taken exception to his documentary, Mostly Sunny.

Dilip Mehta is a disappointed man. His documentary on Sunny Leone, Mostly Sunny, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, but the actress herself has denounced it. “I hope it doesn’t come to India. Because that’s not the story that is mine. This is somebody else’s opinion, somebody else’s vision. No one has a right to tell your life story, except for you,” Sunny said when asked about it. We speak to Dilip to get his side of the story:

Sunny Leone feels that the documentary you’ve made on her life does not do justice to her I read Sunny’s statement with disappointment, and mild amusement. Since she’s been ‘honest’ about her past, audiences should definitely see my film, Mostly Sunny, and decide for themselves whether the documentary is a figment of my imagination, or an honest, journalistic portrayal of an unapologetic, unrepentant former porn star, who has taken India by storm with her entry into Bollywood.

Has she lately been in denial about her pornography past I wish her well, but she shouldn’t paint ever journalist with the same brush. (Sunny’s interview with a TV journalist, where she was quizzed about her past was labelled ‘intrusive.’)

Does she feel the documentary isn’t really about her Sunny drives the film; hers is the narrative of the film. Her younger brother, Sunny (whose name she assumed) is another driving force in the film, and his presence in it is endearing and very, very sympathetic. I wonder at times, which film are Sunny and Daniel (Webber, husband) referring to. It certainly doesn’t sound like Mostly Sunny.

Was she happy when you were shooting the film The many interviews we did over a period of a couple of years have all been on camera. They make it sound as though I had a gun to their heads, and that’s laughable. What is she trying to conceal

You tell us. She’s said ‘I hope it doesn’t come to India’ Why not What is Sunny attempting to conceal I’ve not tainted or defiled her. It’s because I like her enormously that I took on this Herculean project. Why is she suddenly in denial, trying to slander a likeable portrayal, and our effort at an accurate description

She feels that the story is not hers I challenge Sunny to deny the content of the film, pertaining to her life — from her childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood. She and her husband are quoted and shown liberally in the documentary. Her colleagues have spoken of her and of her past avatar as an adult entertainer. Her parents’ friends have spoken of her childhood years in the city of her birth in Canada, but not disparagingly.

Sunny feels the documentary projects somebody else’s opinion. The documentary is carefully crafted to narrate her life trajectory. It’s not an opinion that shows her in some deliberate, ill-conceived bad light. On the contrary, the film is in awe of strength of character, of her resilience in braving a storm by coming to India. Frankly, I’m flummoxed by the storm in the teacup that Sunny — who interestingly I’ve either called by her real name, Karen, or ‘beti’ — is attempting to brew.

Sunny claims that the documentary is not a biopic, where one can manipulate and say what they want. I resent accusations of having manipulated the film. Sunny, her husband, her brother, her friends and colleagues do the talking — I’ve not spoken a word in the film.

She says, “It’s not like you are appealing to cinematic liberty. This is somebody’s life. This is my life, I take it very personally.” In the making of this film, my team and I took no cinematic liberties. This is a documentary, not a fiction drama. This film is not feeding to the masses the same story that Sunny has been spinning for public consumption — there’s more. We’re intelligent filmmakers, who’ve meticulously woven a serious film, not catering to her vanity, but admiring her for her tenacity to stand up to adversity.