A well-known Canadian Bollywood actress and ex-porn star is scheduled to headline an evening of music, dance and other entertainment at the Asian Town amphitheater outside of Doha next month, organizers have said.
Sunny Leone is a reality television star in India who has also appeared in the popular Bollywood horror film Ragini MMS 2 as well as 2015’s Ek Paheli Leela.
The actress, who has 1.3 million followers on Twitter and more than 16 million Facebook fans, will be joined in Qatar on March 11 by comedian Sunil Pal, dancer Nirmal Tamang and pop star Himal for a 3.5-hour “Mega Bollywood Night” in the Industrial Area venue.
Authorities in Qatar generally frown upon explicitly sexual material and have previously banned movies including Raaz 3 – a 3D Bollywood erotic horror film – in 2012.
However, event organizers told Doha News that there was nothing about the event’s program that would violate the country’s norms or social values.
“I respect Qatar’s law and religion … We are doing an entertainment program (with) very good singers and a very good comedian,” Ghimire Kalyan, a project manager with show organizer Arun Valley Entertainment.
“We didn’t want to go into Sunny’s past … She’s a very talented actress in Bollywood,” he said, adding his firm had already received permission to hold the event from authorities in Qatar.
Entertainment in Qatar
Kalyan said the primary drive behind Mega Bollywood Night was to bring additional entertainment options to Qatar’s large South Asian community.
He also noted that many people in the Bollywood film industry are familiar with Dubai and will often travel to the UAE to film.
He hoped that introducing agents and other organizers to Qatar could lead to them returning to shoot or work with the local film industry, which could also provide a boost to Qatar’s hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
“We want to support Qatar,” Kalyan said.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online via Q-Tickets or, starting a week before the event, at the venue. They start in price at QR50 and go up to QR1,000 for VIP passes.
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