‘More supporters than haters’: Bollywood ex-porn star Sunny Leone vows to make it

Bollywood actress Sunny Leone has long faced the wrath of India’s social conservatives for her porn-star past, but she remains determined to carve a career in Hindi movies even as fresh controversy erupted this week.

READ MORE: Why many Indians are defending former porn queen

Canadian-born Leone, whose adult films include Descent into Bondage and Costumed Damsels in Distress, said making the transition to Indian cinema had been difficult but she now felt at home in Bollywood.

“When I first got into the industry it was definitely not a good feeling when people are not so happy about your choices in life,” Leone said during an interview in Mumbai. “But as time has gone by, especially over the last six months, I’ve gotten to know and I’ve gotten to meet some amazing celebrities and it’s a journey.”

The 34-year-old, the most searched celebrity on Google in the country for the last three years, has often drawn controversy in deeply conservative and religious India.

This week social media erupted in sympathy for Leone after she calmly faced down what many felt was a misogynistic grilling about her past by Bhupendra Chaubey on his top-rating TV show, during which he even suggested she was linked to the increase in India’s pornography viewing.

But in a testament to the increasing acceptance of her by the Bollywood establishment, big name stars such as Aamir Khan, Rishi Kapoor, and Anushka Sharma, took to Twitter to voice support for Leone.

A subsequent video on Facebook of Leone expressing her gratitude for the support has been viewed more than a million times.

The actress, whose real name is Karenjit Kaur Vohra, was born in Ontario, Canada to Indian Sikh immigrants in 1981. She moved to India five years ago after a successful career as a porn actress, which included being named “Penthouse Pet of the Year” in 2003.