Sunny Leone stormed into the Indian showbiz scene 14 years ago, and ever since, the actress has created a splash with her dance numbers, hosted reality shows and also featured in Bollywood and South films. In a chat with us, she recalls her early days here when she faced rejection, how she changed the narrative and navigated through the industry despite coming from an unconventional background. Excerpts:‘When I first came here, I wondered if I had made the right choice’Recounting the time when she decided to make her foray into the Indian entertainment business, Sunny says, “I was nervous because when I was contemplating participating in Bigg Boss, there were a lot of internal discussions. I was facing a lot of rejection and backlash. There were also various hate groups who were against me. I was scheduled to make my entry at the start of the show, but I came in as a wildcard entry because of the backlash. Witnessing all that, I wondered if I had made the right choice. But eventually, I got a lot of love from the audience and I wasn’t expecting that.”117393039‘There have been some scary moments, but amazing ones too’The reality show was a launch pad for Sunny, who made her Bollywood debut with Jism 2 (2012) and followed it up with films like Ragini MMS 2 (2014), Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Mastizaade (2016). Talking about what she learned from her journey, Sunny says, “What I have learnt is to keep working and ignore the nonsense and noise around you. We have to be persistent no matter what. There have been some scary moments, but some amazing ones, too. I’m a lot more comfortable with myself now.”‘The industry as we know is fraternal’Elaborating on how her unorthodox beginnings made it harder for her to navigate through the industry, she explains, “The industry, as we know, is very fraternal. So, if you stick around long enough, work hard and keep reminding them about your existence, then you will continue to get work. I can’t help the background that I come from and the choices that I’ve made in my life. I do believe that if I’m cast in a project, I bring my own fan following and that does add value to it.”‘Glad I got a chance to be part of songs that are still popular’In recent times, Sunny has been playing prominent parts in films like Kennedy, Quotation Gang and Shiro, which is something she has always desired. However, she hasn’t been seen in any special songs in Bollywood movies lately. Ask her if she misses performing to hit tracks, and she replies, “Of course, I do. When I danced to hit tracks in some of these movies, the songs really fuelled the film. The film was great, but then the song lifted it. I don’t think that happens as much anymore. Today, the music, sets and choreography are great, but I don’t feel the impact is the same. I’m just happy that I got a chance to be part of songs that are still so popular.”‘Your social media following gives you that extra edge for auditions’Highlighting the importance of social media in a celebrity’s life, she shares, “Building yourself on social media is extremely important. If you love to dance or show off your art and talent, just keep doing that because that gives you that extra edge when you walk into an audition. You can say, ‘I can add brand value to your project because I have a social media following.’ Every producer, director and even brands are going to see that. Today, social media is a part of every contract you sign as an artiste, so you can’t ignore it.”