Another feather in Sunny Leone’s cap: She’s now PETA’s person of the year

While her groovy number, Laila Main Laila, from Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees seems set to rule music charts, Sunny Leone is in the news this time for a different reason — her compassionate side. The Bollywood actor will receive PETA’s person of the year award for her dedication towards promoting the rescue of homeless dogs and cats, as well as her compassion for animals that are abused and killed for their skin.

Earlier this year, the 35-year-old star featured in an ad campaign by the organisation which encouraged people to “be an angel” and adopt a homeless dog.

“Sunny Leone’s kindness proves she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. PETA is calling on people everywhere to follow her compassionate example,” said Sachin Bangera from PETA.

Past recipients of PETA’s person of the year award include Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, and actors Kapil Sharma, Hema Malini, R Madhavan and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Meanwhile, her song, Laila Main Laila, is a reprised version of the superhit Laila O Laila from the 1980 film Qurbani. It also features Shah Rukh Khan who plays a Gujarat-based entrepreneur bootlegger in Raees, which is slated for release on January 26, 2017.

Sunny Leone shot down claims that she was offered Rs 4 crore to perform Laila main Laila live at a New Year party.

“I wish that was true. I will be the happiest person on the planet if I was paid Rs 4 crore for my song to perform in Mumbai. I hope it comes true but unfortunately it’s not true,” Sunny said.

Along with superstar Salman Khan, she was named the most searched Indian actor on Google in the last decade in July this year. She was also the most searched celebrity on Google for 2016.

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First Published: Dec 22, 2016 19:56 IST