Anurag Kashyap in conversation with Anupama Chopra ahead of the screening of his film Kennedy.
Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap, who is gearing up for the midnight screening of his film Kennedy at the Cannes Film Festival, spoke to Anupama Chopra about auditioning Sunny Leone for the film. In an extensive chat, the Gangs Of Wasseypur director revealed that he had never seen any of Sunny Leone's films, but he saw her interviews before casting her in Kennedy. Talking to film critic Anupama Chopra, he said, "I have never seen her film, I have seen her interviews and she is not just smart, she's an awesome woman and when I saw her interviews, I was like this is the woman I want because if you see the look in her eyes, there is a little sadness in her eyes and for me, that was the first criteria."
Talking about Sunny Leone's auditioning process in depth, Anurag Kashyap said, "I asked her for an audition and she said yes. She just was so happy and overwhelmed with it." He also revealed that the Ragini MMS star was so grateful that she was being approached for the role that she instantly agreed to audition for it.
However, when Sunny Leone asked the director how should she prepare for the audition, Anurag Kashyap asked her to see videos of Raveena Tandon and Anushka Sharma laughing. Explaining the reason behind it, Anurag Kashyap told Anupama Chopra, "I gave her videos of Anushka Sharma and Raveena Tandon when they laugh. They are only two people I know who laugh wholeheartedly. Because whatever be the circumstances, she (the character) laughs it off, that's her only defense and she (Sunny Leone) worked on it."
Meanwhile, Anurag Kashyap's Kennedy is headed to the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival. The film will be showcased under the Midnight Screenings section of the prestigious film gala. Film distributor Iris Knobloch and Thierry Fremaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, announced at a press conference at Cannes.
The Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) shared the update on its official Twitter page. "KENNEDY by Anurag KASHYAP #SeanceDeMinuit / #MidnightScreenings #Cannes2023," the post read.
Earlier, the director's Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) was screened at the 2012 Cannes Directors' Fortnight. His anthology film Bombay Talkies premiered under Special Screenings at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival while his thriller Ugly was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and received a standing ovation.