Mahesh says preconcieved notions about Sunny Leone worked against Jism 2

Mahesh Bhatt said preconceived notions about Sunny Leone's adult film background worked against 'Jism 2', as audiences 'didn’t want to see an adult star wanting to becoming a wife'.

Sunny Leone was cast in 'Jism 2' after Mahesh Bhatt met her inside the 'Bigg Boss 5' house, at the suggestion of Viacom18 executive Raj Nayak.

A distributor bought 'Jism 2' at a 'phenomenal price' without watching it, explaining that Leone was 'the most searched girl on Google in India'.

Despite the controversy, 'Jism 2' performed well commercially, though Mahesh Bhatt felt it fell short of the extraordinary expectations attached to Leone's casting.