Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Casting Sunny Leone for Kennedy: “needed a woman over 40, who is sexualised by men”

Indian Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap explained in an interview why he selected Sunny Leone to play the role of Charlie in Kennedy. He stated this before walking the red carpet with Sunny and Rahul Bhat at the film’s premiere in the Midnight Screening section at Cannes Film Festival. Sunny is thrilled to be part of the film and attend the festival for the first time.

The teaser for Kennedy provides a glimpse of Sunny Leone’s character, although not much is revealed. She is shown laughing after entering a lift. The film centers around an insomniac ex-cop seeking redemption, who is presumed dead. Anurag Kashyap, discussing Sunny’s casting, stated that he had never seen her films but had watched her interviews. He needed a woman over 40 who was sexualized by older men and had experienced challenges in life. He did not require explicit sex scenes but rather a woman who could use her experiences to navigate and survive. Sunny Leone had all of these qualities, making her a perfect fit for the role. Anurag said, “I swear I have never seen her films, ever. I have seen her interviews. There is a certain sadness in her eyes. There has been a life in the past. I needed a woman over 40, who is sexualised by men around her, men who are in their 50s and 60s. I don’t need to see the act of sex and all that. I need to see this woman who is also dealing with it, also handling it, also using it all in order to survive and navigate. In Sunny, I found a woman who came with all those things inbuilt.”

Anurag Kashyap also mentioned that he was aware of the amount of money Sunny Leone typically earns in the industry. However, he explained that he did not consider this when casting her for Kennedy since it was not the kind of film where her salary would be a significant factor. He expressed that Sunny was thrilled to be considered for the role and worked hard on it, which was evident in her performance.

In November of last year, Sunny Leone had expressed her admiration for working with Anurag Kashyap on Kennedy. She praised his laid-back and easy-going nature, and appreciated how seriously he took his role in directing the film. Sunny made an effort to deliver what he had asked of her, and was happy to learn that he was pleased with her performance. Sunny Leone had shared details about her audition for Kennedy, stating that she was nervous during the process. She recalled that the entire office working on the film was present during the audition. Anurag Kashyap went around asking everyone for their opinion on whether she was suitable for the role, which made the experience feel like a test.