LOS ANGELES – Vivid contract girl Sunny Leone has signed on to star in
the Bollywood movie Pirates Blood, from Siba Art Production and
Distribution.

An English-language thriller, Pirates Blood begins shooting in
mid-February in Oman, and will also star veteran Bollywood actor Salim
Bahwan. Cinematography will be overseen by noted South Indian lensman
Ramachhandran Babuk.

Leone is represented by LA Direct Models, whose owner, Derek Hay,
said, “We are delighted that Sunny will have this mainstream
breakthrough. She has already been described by the Arabic press as
‘Indian-America’s Marilyn Monroe.’ She is beautiful, talented and a
brilliant choice for this movie, as her appearance will appeal to both
her Indian and American fans.”

Those fans are also sure to clamor for Sunny Loves Matt, the Vivid
release featuring her first boy/girl performance, streeting Mar. 5.

“Sunny’s popularity has soared since she joined Vivid,” said studio
co-chairman Steven Hirsch. “She has an enormous fan base that is
already pre-ordering Sunny Loves Matt, and we believe that as the
first adult star to go Bollywood, she is marking another milestone in
movie history.”

Bollywood has attracted increasing attention from the American film
world in recent years. Major Hollywood figures including Michael
Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Cameron Diaz, Peter Weir and Will Smith
have actively pursued film projects to be shot in India, with top
Indian stars, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“The increasing popularity of Indian cinema has been referred to by
the press as ‘Bollywood Mania,'” said Hirsch. “It is driving
moviemakers to be more innovative, and casting Sunny as the female
lead in Pirates Blood is a step in that direction.”sunny-leone1