Back in April this year, Sonu Sood was announced the brand ambassador of Punjab’s Coronavirus vaccination programme by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The actor, who has been going all out educating people about the importance of getting the jab, is gearing to host a vaccination drive this week at Saffuwala village, located at Moga district in Punjab which is also his hometown.

Talking about the drive, Sonu told BT, “The idea is to get maximum people vaccinated. The problem in Punjab is that people are still shying away from getting the vaccine against COVID. So, my sister Malvika Sood, who stays in Moga, had a few meetings with the sarpanch of the village and set this up. She met with the villagers, too. I even shared video messages to help them understand the importance of getting vaccinated. I will be sponsoring the vaccines for 18-year old plus individuals there.”

Sonu, who is in Mumbai, will be monitoring the drive through video calls. “I’m just waiting for some permissions to come through,” he says, adding, “It took time to get the village convinced, so I am expecting to cover as many people as we can in this drive. I hope that Saffuwala sets an example for other villages of Punjab and very soon the entire state gets vaccinated.”

Next up, Sonu wants to do a similar drive for the film industry. “People are facing a shortage of vaccines. I really want to do a drive for my folks from Bollywood. I will soon start working on it,” he signs off.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 21, 2019)

In his 18-year-long career, Sonu Sood has been seen in a range of characters. The actor, who has worked in films in five languages, smoothly transitions from the bad guy in a Rohit Shetty masala film to Mahabharat’s Arjun in a Kannada movie. Now, he is all set to turn producer. In three months from now, he will roll out his most-ambitious film, the P V Sindhu biopic. Sonu, in his long run in Bollywood, has learnt the art of staying afloat without making compromises. In conversation with BT, he speaks of the past and the road ahead:

After ending 2018 with Simmba, your focus this year seems to have shifted to projects down South. You’ve already had three releases there.
I’ve always believed in prioritising things. Last year, my focus was Simmba, which was appreciated. In my 18-year career, there have always been phases when South films become a priority and the same holds true for Bollywood films, too. After Simmba, I signed some very interesting projects down South. At the moment, my team and I are planning the P V Sindhu biopic. We have a new climax, in which we have recorded her recent win at the BWF World Championship.

I’m also prepping to play Pullela Gopichand (former Indian badminton player and Sindhu’s coach). We are discussing a few scripts that we’ll produce; I will act in some of them. Things are moving at a relatively easy pace.

Between your South and Hindi film phases, evidently, one of the two tends to take a backseat for a short span of time. Do these intervals bother you?
It’s a matter of timing. There have been times when I have shot simultaneously for films in Hindi as well as South Indian languages, but the release plan sometimes makes it look like I had to take a long break from one to dedicate time to the other. Yes, films from the South have helped me choose my movies wisely in Bollywood. I am not in a space where I have to take on just about anything that comes my way. Today, I can afford to wait for roles that excite me; South films have created that cushion for me. When you don’t have work, you’re forced to take on projects even if your heart isn’t in it. But if you have a buffer, you can afford to turn down projects. Even the filmmakers have respected my decisions and my honesty.

Saying no can also be perceived differently. At one point, people said that turning down Dabangg 2 cost you your friendship with Salman Khan.
You’re right. People thought that refusing Dabangg 2 changed our equation, but that isn’t the truth. In fact, my bond with him became even stronger. He respects the fact that I told him that I wasn’t convinced about the role that was offered to me. We are professionals and we respect each other’s creative calls. It’s better to offend someone at the outset than to suffer and bicker later. If you simply give your nod to avoid offending someone, it will not make you happy. Once a banner, which was high on my wish-list, sent me a script. I was overjoyed, but when I read it, it didn’t excite me. I sent it back with a bunch of flowers and a heartfelt note. For a moment, I thought what if they never offer me another film, but it’s always better to say what you feel. I have never done something that I wasn’t sure about. Yes, there were times when I have walked on a set and felt that this wasn’t what I thought it would be, but such instances have been very few.

There was a time when in about two years, you had films with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan. Today, you produce, do fewer Hindi films and more films down South. What has changed?
Not really, my decisions have always been dominated by the roles offered to me. At one time, all the roles in the films with Akshay, Shah Rukh and Salman excited me. It was a coincidence that they came my way in quick succession. After that, not everything offered to me in recent years has excited me. I also haven’t seen a film, which makes me feel, ‘I wish I had done it’. Looking at the equations I share with Akshay, Salman and SRK, I know they will call me if they think I fit into one of their films. Every year after that phase, I did something new. I worked with Rohit Shetty and Jackie Chan. I produced Tutak Tutak Tutiya. I am glad I could do that. If you are seen in every film, you will become a blind-spot, and there won’t be anything about you that will stand out.

In all these years, have you ever felt insecure about other actors?
I had never thought that I will achieve what I have today. In fact, in my mind, I was clear, ‘Engineer hoon, papa ka business join karke wahin kuch kar loonga.’ Main Moga sheher ka aam ladka tha, maine kabhi nahi socha tha ek din Jackie Chan ke saath kandhe se kandha milake kaam karunga. Things like these are usually out of bounds for people like us. Now that I am here, I just have to work hard and make every single day count. So, there’s no reason to feel insecure.

Does this feeling of making every day count, stem from the fact that you didn’t have an easy start and weren’t sure if you’d really make it?
In a way, yes! My mother always told me to be patient and to hang in there; she always believed that at the right time, things would work out, and they did. I am grateful for all that I have. I don’t want any newcomer to ever face what people like me with no background in cinema faced when we came in. Today, aspirants can email their pictures to agents and things can move ahead from there. It wasn’t so systematic in those days. Two decades ago, we would go from office-to-office handing out our pictures in the hope of getting work. I remember that at the first office that I went to, the receptionist did not even look at me. She just asked me to keep my photos and leave. I would roam around in fitted T-shirts, thinking body dekh ke hi sahi, koi cast kar lega. Then I realised, all these tricks don’t work. I learnt the art of making small talk and would start with asking for a glass of water. On some days, I’ve had to drink 40 glasses of water. Even though I wasn’t getting a chance, I decided to stick around. I’ve earned my place in the industry with a lot of hard work and there’s no alternative for that.

Considering the fact that you had to struggle a lot to get a break, how has that influenced you?
When someone comes to Mumbai, he or she is clueless about how this city works. I came here for just a year. I thought agar nahi hua toh ek saal baad chala jaaonga. It took me 18 months to just figure out the roads and buildings that mattered. Initially, I used to live in a rented house. One BHK tha, but often, there would be a dozen of us crammed in. Outsiders face a lot of difficulties. As a producer, I am accessible to strugglers because mere paas koi nahi tha. Even if you enter my society, you won’t find a barrage of security guards stopping you. My doors were and are open to people even today. Even after becoming a known face, I have remained accessible to others because that keeps me grounded.

From a line-producer, you’re now on the verge of becoming a full-time producer. Life has indeed come a full circle, hasn’t it? Will acting take a backseat now?
No, I will continue to act because I can multitask. My friends often told me, ‘Ek din tu producer banega. You have a knack for putting things together.’ Now, it has actually happened. We did some production work on two films and P V Sindhu’s biopic is my first bigscale venture. Sometimes, the only way to control things in a project is to become the producer. I want P V Sindhu’s story to be told a certain way, and that is possible only if I produce the film.

DNA (May 29, 2019)

Thanks to his tall frame and envious physique, Sonu Sood is considered to be one of the fittest actors of Bollywood. The 45-year-old, who is riding high on the success of his last Hindi release, Simmba and his latest Telugu film, Sita, which opened in cinemas last Friday, ensures that he leads a healthy lifestyle. He often shares pictures and videos of his exercise sessions on his social media, thereby emphasising the importance of regular workouts. He also likes to keep his fans and followers updated with the latest technology with regards to fitness. Sonu has already set up a gym free of cost in his hometown, Moga, in Punjab.

Now, the actor wants to take his passion to the next level by starting his own YouTube channel. A source informs, “Sonu’s name is synonymous with fitness. He has been contemplating starting his own YouTube channel for quite some time now. Besides guiding people about their exercise and diet, he will also share quick tips with them so that they can work out even without going to the gym.” Without revealing much about the digital initiative, Sonu informs, “Talks are on and we’ll soon make an official announcement.”

Two months after he was accused of willingness to promote political parties for cash, Punjab boy Sonu Sood roped in to encourage voting in state
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 24, 2019)

Even as several Bollywood stars are contesting in the ongoing general elections, others have been urging citizens to exercise their power and cast their vote. In the latest development, Sonu Sood, who hails from Moga, has been selected by the deputy election commissioner to encourage voting in Punjab.

Interestingly, this comes two months after the actor was accused of allegedly willing to promote political parties in exchange for cash, in a sting operation conducted by an investigative website. He had rubbished the allegations, calling it "a clear case of sabotage".

Ahead of the polling on May 19, Sood intends to travel to the state to spread the word. "When I was chosen as a face to encourage people to vote, I felt a huge responsibility on my shoulders. Voting is a cause that I feel strongly about. I will travel to few towns in Punjab to promote the idea, and will also spread the word through my social media handles. It is necessary that people take time out of their busy schedules and cast their vote. If they don't live in their hometown, they should make the effort to travel there to do their bit for the country."

Sood adds that it is up to the citizens to elect a leader who reflects their ideals. "No matter which party comes to power or which leader is elected, we must ensure that the right head is chosen for the country."

(Clockwise) Deep Roy with a French model in Paris; The Pink Panther Strikes Back; A still from Star Trek; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Deep Roy, who has featured in films like Star Wars, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, recounts his journey from Punjab to Los Angeles
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 12, 2019)

The kiddies’ delight Oompa Loompas—Deep Roy—of Hollywood’s smash hit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was in Mumbai to check out the city as the setting of an international movie production which he is currently scripting.

The 61-year-old dimunitive actor has starred in over 75 films and TV series over the decades, including some of H-town’s iconic blockbusters—Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi in various roles; three editions of the Star Trek franchise as Keenser the slapstick sidekick, The Planet Of The Apes series as a baby gorilla, besides performing daredevil stunts for Steven Spielberg’s Hook and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.

Standing at 4’4” in an exclusive to Mumbai Mirror, Roy rewound to his roots in the village of Moga in Punjab. His orthodox Sikh family moved to Nairobi and then London, where he was to study accountancy. His father, a household décor dealer, was horrified when he cut his hair and announced that he wished to be a comedian. “‘Are you joking,’ dad thundered to which I told him just you wait dad, people will be laughing with me, and not at me,” Roy chuckles.

On being sighted by a talent agent at a nightclub show in London, he was on the roll, changing his name from Mohinder Singh Purba to Deep Roy “since it would look short and sweet on films’ credit titles.”

He portrayed an Italian assassin baying for the blood of Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Followed by an appearance in German director Wolfgang Petersen’s worldwide hit, The NeverEnding Story (right), and Roy integrated into the Hollywood mainstream. Today he shuttles between his homes in Sussex and Los Angeles.

Laughing self-deprecatingly, while the lunch crowd darts curious looks in a Chinese restaurant, he says, “Since becoming a global star, if I may say so, I feel six feet tall. My height is immaterial, it’s my heart and mind which count. I’m mobbed in America, Europe and Japan, by kids and unusually enough, tall women. Like there was this French model in Paris, who just wouldn’t let go of me. But you know what? Though I’m Punjabi, I’m often mistaken to be a Mexican or Spaniard.” He doesn’t pick favourites from his directors Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, JJ Abrams and the late Blake Edwards, adding in the same breath that his collaboration with Tim Burton on the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was “amazing, madly funny, we both treat each other like kids in a playpen.” Apart from Burton’s Charlie and the Glass Elevator, again adapted from a Roald Dahl book, and the next Star Trek installment, Roy’s into a welter of ad films and a travel food show. “It would be great to film Mumbai’s street khaana,” he exults. “Maybe I’ll return with my crew to focus on the vada pavs, bhel puri, samosas and dosas you can eat for just a few rupees at roadside stalls.”

So, what’s the international project, he’s scripting? “That’s asking,” he says with a poker face. “There are confidentiality clauses. So, I can’t tell.”

Has Roy seen Shah Rukh Khan as a dwarf in Zero? “I’ve heard about it,” he responds, “But the film bombed, didn’t it? Maybe it wouldn’t have if they’d cast me. I’d love to be in the Bollywood movies. The producers here can call me—collect! I’m a Punjab da munda. Should I perform a bhangra for you right now?”

Offer refused, and he makes a funny face, “Okay, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2018)

I was born in Moga, Punjab, to a businessman father Shakti Sagar and mother, Saroj, who was a professor and was very clear that I had to complete my education before I could pursue whatever I wanted to do in life. After my tenth standard board exams, I worked briefly in my dad’s showroom and learnt to identify different fabrics, how to sell them and handle customers. I owe my business acumen to my father.

By the time I finished my high school, terrorism was a serious concern in Punjab, so I shifted to Nagpur to study electronics engineering at the Yeshwantrao Chavan College. I was doing well academically but in the second year, encouraged by my friends, I was drawn to modelling and acting. By the time I was in the third year, I’d decided that after getting my degree, I would go to Mumbai with my dream of becoming an actor. I started putting money into my piggy bank with plans to use it to make a portfolio which I shot immediately after I was done with my final year exams. I remember it cost me around Rs 6,000 at the time.

I knew to survive in Mumbai I needed a steady source of income as I didn’t want to be a burden on my parents. So, I had started applying for jobs and finally got a call from a private firm with an office in South Mumbai. I landed in the city with Rs 5,500 believing it would last me a month but it was over in eight to 10 days.

I used to live as a paying guest with six boys in a one room-kitchen apartment in the suburbs. I got the job and since I was required to be on the field, I had bought a monthly pass from Borivali to Churchgate. My monthly remuneration was Rs 4,500. Since I was so intent on making it, I didn’t feel the pinch.

I hit the gym every morning at 5.30 and trained for two hours after which I would leave for work at around 8. The field job helped me learn different routes. Along the way, I’d drop off my pictures at film production offices and try to make contacts. I quickly realised that the job was taking up a lot of my time, so I quit after five months, giving myself a year of struggle. I, however, continued modelling which I had started doing while studying in Nagpur. My first assignment earned me Rs 500, a huge sum back then. I bought a denim for myself with the money. Later, in Delhi, I got paid Rs 3000 for a shoot even though I contracted conjunctivitis a day before. In Mumbai, my maiden assignment was for a shoe brand for which I was paid Rs 2000 daily for three days. It helped me survive for another month in the city.

The idea behind taking up these assignments was to stick around in the hope of a big movie break. One day, I got a message on my pager from a coordinator wondering if I’d be interested in a Tamil film. Soon after, I was on a train to Chennai without even a reserved ticket because it was such a short notice. The coordinator picked me up on his bike from the station and we drove to the studio where the producers were waiting. After a few questions, they asked me if I could take off my Tee. I obliged in front of the unit and impressed, they gave me the role, along with a cheque of Rs 11,000 as the signing amount. And that’s how I ended up doing the 1999 Tamil drama Kallazhagar.

I didn’t know the language, so my mom sent me a book on how to learn Tamil, insisting I pick up the bhasha so I could express myself better on-screen. I was like a school kid prepping up for his exams, revising till I got it right. That was the beginning of my showbiz journey. It’s been almost two decades and I’m still excited about facing the camera.


Sonu Sood (second from right) during his college days in Nagpur

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; July 30, 2018)

Sonu Sood, who turns a year older today, doesn’t have any big plans to ring in his birthday. “When your parents are no longer around, it doesn’t make sense,” he says philosophically. The actor, who lost his mother in October 2007 and his father in February 2016, adds, “I miss my mom and dad a lot. I feel a big void. They would call me when I was away from them. I miss receiving their calls. I know that the phone won’t flash their names when it rings on my special day.”

Probe him on the first thought that comes to his mind at the mention of his birthday and he recalls his childhood days in his hometown, Moga, Punjab. “My parents would celebrate it in a big way, with a huge cake, a party, etc. All my friends would look forward to the bash where top bureaucrats and other known people would attend. I was more excited about the number of gifts I would get. I would spend the whole night unwrapping my presents. Back then, all of that was quite exciting,” Sonu reminisces.

However, the 45-year-old states that as he grew older, he became shy and finally when he started doing films, he was no longer in the mood to celebrate. “Throwing birthday bashes is not for me,” he laughs.

Sonu, who will be seen next as a soldier in J P Dutta’s Paltan, says that visiting a temple on his b’day has been a ritual for years. “On a few occasions, I’ve visited Shirdi and the Aiyappa Swami temples. Sometimes, college friends come over to my place and we get nostalgic about our campus years. This time, I’ll spend most of the day with my family,” he signs off.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 30, 2014)


Says Sonu, “We completely rebuilt our old home. In fact, no one can recognise it anymore. Every brick, every piece of furniture has been replaced.” The re-construction of his ancestral home began seven years ago.

But then his mother passed away. “After her death, my father and I lost interest in re-building it. This year, we decided to go ahead with the reconstruction,” reveals the actor. Fifty interior designers and other experts were taken from Mumbai to Moga to help the dream house take shape. “My home in Moga has turned into something really special,”says the actor. Locals in Moga travel to Sonu’s home just to see what he has built. “It is my proudest achievement to date,” he gushes.