Anurag Kashyap on casting Sunny Leone in Kennedy: 'She is more than just songs and sex scenes; country has seen only seen her one way'

Anurag Kashyap cast Sunny Leone in Kennedy (February 20, 2026) to subvert her sexualised image. Using her "protective laughter", he highlights her depth and internal pain without cliché sex scenes.

Sunny Leone in a still from Kennedy

Kennedy director Anurag Kashyap recently discussed his casting choice of Sunny Leone in a recent interview that followed the film's release announcement on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium). After a long run at several international festivals—including its world debut at Cannes—the film will soon be available to stream on OTT. During their conversation, Kashyap expressed his intention to use Leone's onscreen presence to delve into more profound thematic aspects of objectification and internal pain, as well as to challenge her long-standing popular opinion.

Why did Anurag Kashyap choose Sunny Leone to challenge public perception?

In an interview with Sucharita Tyagi, Kashyap has said that casting Leone was mostly about challenging the Indian audience's one-sided perception of her career. He pointed out that the part called for a woman in her forties who is sexualised all the time by society—a fact he believed the actor understood better than anybody else.

According to Kashyap, "This country has only seen her one way—Sunny Leone means songs or sex scenes. They've never seen her as a person."

ALSO READ: Kennedy trailer: Anurag Kashyap unleashes Rahul Bhat as a lethal insomniac hitman; Sunny Leone joins the dark world

How does Kennedy subvert traditional clichés and sex scenes?

Kashyap cast her in Kennedy to steer clear of these clichés. He went on to say that the character's inner life, not external portrayals, is what gives her depth. Kashyap consciously chose not to film any sexual content, arguing that her presence alone could convey the story's objective. "I don't need to show a sex scene with Sunny to see how men sexualise her... it saves time, energy, and your own mental space," Kashyap added.

The filmmaker emphasised a particular aspect of Leone's character that he adopted: protective laughter. This, as Kashyap saw in the actor during their one-on-one conversations, "always glasses her defence—her laughter—which I have seen," he says, adding that it was a mask for the character's anguish.

How does Sunny Leone's character communicate internal suffering without dialogue?

In his opinion, even though she's going through a lot, she laughs at everything. Without her saying a word, that instant of internal suffering just translates. There was less need for heavy speech because of this quality, he said, as the character dealt with a world of objectification and brutality.

Kashyap also revealed the nontraditional way that Leone was cast for the part. He planned a "fake" audition instead of a typical screen test to see how serious she was and how at ease she would be in a professional environment that was different from her previous work experiences. He said that the entire staff was there and that she had come for a reading.

What convinced Anurag Kashyap that Sunny Leone was right for the role?

The filmmaker was testing her willingness to participate in his method. After observing her during the reading in a crowded office, he was convinced. He recalled telling her, "The fact that you came all the way to the office, you sat down and you went through a reading was good enough for me to know that you are in."

A particular relationship between Leone's character and Rahul Bhat's Kennedy (the film's protagonist) is the focus of the plot. Kashyap brought attention to the irony that the only character in the film's universe who treats her with any degree of human kindness is Kennedy, a psychopathic and violent villain. "She finds that one man who literally does not objectify her, even though he is an [assassin] and he is violent and he is psychopathic," Kashyap noted.

Why does Anurag Kashyap prefer working with actors over "stars"?

Working with actors who are open to Kashyap's technique is crucial to his casting of Leone. He expressed a preference for actors who do not carry the baggage of massive fan expectations, which he believes can often limit a filmmaker's ability to shape a performance. He stated that he stays away from "stars" since "fans' expectations are different" and they tend to put on the same performances over and over again, highlighting the importance of trust in his collaborations.

Kennedy is set to stream on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) on February 20, 2026.

Kennedy FAQs:

Q: Is Kennedy releasing on ZEE5?

A: Yes, Kennedy is scheduled to premiere exclusively on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) on February 20, 2026. The film is being released directly on OTT because its continuous, "mood piece" narrative structure was deemed a poor fit for the long intervals typical of Indian theatrical screenings.

Q: What is Sunny Leone’s role in Kennedy?

A: Sunny Leone plays Charlie, a woman navigating a world of violence and objectification. A key trait Kashyap incorporated into the character is a "mask of laughter"—a defensive mechanism he observed in the actor where she uses laughter to hide internal trauma and suffering.

Q: Who is the male lead in Kennedy?

A: Kennedy stars Rahul Bhat as the protagonist, Kennedy (Uday Shetty), an insomniac ex-cop presumed dead who works as a contract killer for a corrupt system.

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