Sunny Leone: I managed to shoot and spend quality family time

Sunny Leone

One would assume MTV Splitsvilla is familiar territory for Sunny Leone, who has hosted five seasons of the show. But the actor-host says every edition brings with it new challenges and surprises. Fresh off the shoot of the 13th instalment of the dating reality show, she notes that it has become a barometer of the changing dynamics of millennial relationships.

Sunny Leone with her family at the Kerala resort during the shoot

"This show has redefined dating for Gen-Z. As a host, it is challenging to guide the kids because they come from different backgrounds and have their own issues. That said, it is fun to watch the contestants grow in the course of the show. It is thrilling for them to be on television, and [gratifying] for us to see them [adapt] to the demands of the show," begins Leone. It is not easy to hold audience attention year on year, as youngsters from different parts of the country come together, hoping to find true love. Ask her how co-host Rannvijay Singha and she revamp the offering, and she says, "It is the contestants who reinvent the show. With new kids on board, the style [of hosting] changes, and I too try to be different. We put them in different situations with the idea that they will find a connection [with a co-contestant]."

The latest edition, shot in Kerala, became a work-cum-pleasure trip for Leone who was accompanied by husband Daniel Weber and kids Nisha, Asher and Noah. "We shot in a bio-bubble with a curtailed crew. It doubled as a family trip. My kids loved the food and the place. I managed to shoot and spend quality family time, which usually doesn't happen."

On the acting front, Leone is particularly excited about her upcoming web series, Anamika that has her exploring action for the first time. In her first collaboration with Vikram Bhatt, she heaps praise on the director for helping her push her boundaries as an artiste. "[After every shot], I always feel that I could have done it better. But when Vikram sir was directing this series, I felt fulfilled as an actor."