What Sunny Leone can teach Virat-Anushka about kissing in public

Sunny Leone deserves everyone's admiration. It's almost impossible to do what she has done. A porn star looking to get into the film industry is unthinkable in Hollywood, let alone Bollywood. Yes, you can watch Kevin Costner's porn movies online; yes you can even buy them if you so wish. What you can't get him to do is confess it publically.

That's where Leone is so special. Not only has she been accepted, but she has been accepted in conservative India. Yes "bold" sex scenes are in; yes we love to see our heroes and heroines smooch. But, and this was the rule, the heroine should be "decent". Whispers of affairs, scandals, relationships were okay, as long as they weren't out in the open.

This rule's still true to some extent and that's why Virat and Anushka can't kiss in public - despite stating that they are in a relationship. We don't want the off-screen Anushka to be a "bad" woman; we want her "pure" so we can bed and marry her (subconsciously of course). Poor Anushka knows this and so all she can do is hold Virat's arm in public.

That's where Leone has upset the rules. Taunts about her past have not affected her and neither has her marriage. Vidya Balan said she thought her film career would be over post-marriage. Not so with Sunny, who's never hid her marriage, and it hasn't hurt her career.

From beginning with "bold movies" with the Bhatts, to milder comedies such as Kuch Kuch Locha Hai; her complete acceptance by the "Great Indian Family" occurred when she visited the Siddhivinayak Temple, early this month to seek blessings for her film. In a country, where people are always looking to parade their "hurt sentiments" that's some feat.

So has Sunny broken the Bollywood glass ceiling? Can we now seen actresses as "human" rather than as "good" women? The verdict is out on that one but one thing may be true. If pornography was no bar for Sunny, other porn stars may soon come knocking on Bollywood's doors. Will the "Great Indian Family" accept them too? Let's see.

(First published in Mail Today.)