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.

Sonu Sood, who is the man behind the project, tells us what caused the delay in rolling out the film, and why he wants to play the shuttler’s coach Pullela Gopichand
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 7, 2019)

On May 1, 2017, Bombay Times was the first to tell you that actor Sonu Sood had procured the rights to the biopic on badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (P V Sindhu), which was titled Sindhu back then. The actor had told BT that her story and her win at the Olympics in 2016 had driven him to reach out to her. However, it’s been over two years, and the project has not rolled out yet. When asked about the delay, Sonu, who plans to roll out the film by the end of this year, said, “The biggest challenge while making a biopic is the writing and casting. The script is finally ready. We have recently locked it and are now planning to work further on the modalities. Once you decide to narrate the story of a sportsperson like P V Sindhu, you have to do justice to it. The responsibility of telling her story correctly has been giving me sleepless nights. I can’t go wrong with this one.”

Talking about Sindhu’s involvement in the film, he said, “She’s very involved with the biopic. I’ve met her so many times after I got the rights to the film. I’ve also met her coach Pullela Gopichand and her father P V Ramana. My writers have spent time with her family, friends and several other sportspersons, who know her well. It all added to the research and helped us to come up with a promising script, which plays on emotions and relationships in a big way. It took me so long to finalise the script because I didn’t like what my previous writers had put together. I started making notes myself, and then, got my friend Himanshu involved in it. He was also a part of the writing team of Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi. We are happy with what we have now.”

Now that the script is locked, we asked Sonu if he has zeroed in on actors for the two most important roles in the film, that of Sindhu and her coach, Gopichand. He said, “I don’t want to get into a zone where I have to wait till eternity to make this film. You can’t teach someone to play world-class badminton in just a few months. It’s important that the leading lady knows the game well, which makes it a challenging task for us. Every film comes with its destiny. I don’t know who is destined to play Sindhu, but yes, Deepika Padukone has always been our first choice and that holds true even today. I didn’t approach her back then because I wanted her to read the final script. Hawa mein baatein karne se koi faayda nahin hota. Now, when we give her the script, we'll know if she’s game to be a part of this biopic. With her, we know we’re on home ground because she knows the sport very well.”

As for the role of Gopichand, Sonu said, “I plan to play the part. I know there is a biopic being made on him, but his story ends where Sindhu’s story begins. He’s her mentor and the equation they share is very special. I really want to be a part of it, and hopefully, I will be.”

The first of three receptions saw family and sports stars turn up to greet the couple in Bangalore on Wednesday
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2018)

On Tuesday, newly-weds Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh flew off to the bride’s hometown Bangalore for the first of the three receptions they will be hosting post their wedding in Lake Como, Italy. Dressed in a black hoodie and pants, Deepika arrived at the city’s five-star early evening on Wednesday to check the arrangements. A couple of hours later, she descended down the stairs, a vision in gold and styled by Sabyasachi with her husband, dapper in a black sherwani, by her side. The sari, we were informed, had been presented by her mother, Ujjala from Angadi Galleria, while the groom was wearing Rohit Bal. What caught the eye was the choker she was wearing along with multiple strands of pearls.

The Bangalore fans who had turned up en masse outside Deepika’s residence to greet the couple when they arrived, flocked to the five-star the following day to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars.

There was a beautiful moment of intimacy when Ranveer helped his better half with her voluminous pallu before they turned to greet the press with matching smiles.

Red flowers complimented the gilded décor. A separate section had been created for the couple to interact with the media before they proceeded to mingle with the guests. Always the gentleman, Ranveer insisted that the photographers and reporters have dinner before they left.

Among the first guests to arrive for the reception was badminton ace P V Sindhu, pretty in pink, who wished the couple a “Happy married life”. She was followed by her coach Pullela Gopichand. Fomrer cricketer Anil Kumble was accompanied by wife Chethana. Another cricket veteran, Venkatesh Prasad, was there too along with Olympian shooter Abhinav Bindra.

The menu featured cuisines from across the world, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, South Indian and Thai along with a chat counter. The guests were welcomed with coconut water and shikanji.
   

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; September 1, 2018)

There’s a time in most men’s lives when they aspire to join the armed forces. Punjab da puttar, Sonu Sood, is no different. The actor, who couldn’t fulfill his childhood dream, now dons army fatigues for the first time in J P Dutta’s Paltan. The film presented by Zee Studios brings alive on screen the story of the 1967 Indo-China clashes at Nathu La and Cho La along the Sikkim border when our soldiers gave their Chinese counterparts ‘a bloody nose’. Sonu talks to us about his fascination for historicals and the PV Sindhu biopic that he’s producing. Excerpts…

What does playing a soldier mean to you? After all, you hail from Punjab, where a lot of men enlist in the army...
A considerable number of people from the North enlist in the military as a lot of invasions and attacks have taken place in that region. Moreover, due to their height, built and fitness levels, they are an apt fit. My father, too, wished to see me in an army uniform and was happy when I told him that I had signed J P Dutta’s Paltan. While he’s no longer around to see the film, (he passed away in 2016), his blessings are always with me.

Did you ever wish to join the armed forces, too?
Yes, I wanted to as a kid. I grew up in Punjab when terrorism was at its peak. Many officers used to visit my hometown, Moga, so it was inspiring to see them in uniform. Over the years, as I grew up, I was drawn towards engineering and later found my calling in acting. After all these years, Paltan gives me an opportunity to don army fatigues.

What was the first thought that came to your mind when you heard the script?
I realised we don’t know some of the most significant chapters of our history and felt I had be a part of this film. My mother was a professor of English and History. So, she had a lot of History books at our place. Whenever I’ve done a historical like Shaheed-e-Azam or Jodhaa Akbar (2008), I’ve sourced some interesting reading material from her library. I also found a couple of books that dealt with 1967 Indo-China conflicts.

Go on...
I also decided to do the film because of J P Dutta. He has an amazing command over war movies; Border (1997) and LOC Kargil (2003) prove this fact. In Paltan, I play a braveheart, Major Bishwant Singh, who was feared by the Chinese. They called him Tiger Nathu La. I feel blessed to have got an opportunity to play a real-life hero and bring to screen an untold story of our history. Though I haven’t met Major Bishwant Singh, I hope he feels I’ve done justice to his character on screen and made him proud.

In the recent years, there is a lot of talk about the flawed narrative of history with many chapters misrepresented. Do you think Paltan will be a part of that course correction?
I feel that when barely known instances of history are brought out before the people, things will change and our citizens will feel proud about what we have gone through, where we have reached today and where we aspire to be tomorrow.

Paltan comes 50 years after India gave China a bloody nose at Nathu La and Cho La along the Sikkim border. Do you feel this film should have been made earlier?
I do wish this story had been told on screen earlier. But then, as they say, better late than never.

How difficult was it to shoot in Ladakh?
Ladakh is a tough terrain with temperatures dropping to minus 30 and low oxygen levels making things even more difficult. But I remember, when I reached there after wrapping the shoot of my South film Kurukshetra, I was told not to go for a run even though the atmosphere seemed tempting. When I donned the uniform for the shoot and had to run for a scene, I didn’t feel out of breath or exhausted at all. My co-actors were surprised as they had come four days before to acclimatise themselves. They asked me how I managed, but I still don’t know. Maybe it was the uniform or the character that inspired me.

Tell us about your experience of working with J P Dutta.
He is clear about his vision. He had multiple camera set-ups for the shoot and having made war films like Border and LOC Kargil, he knows his craft well. Life is easy for actors with a filmmaker like him at the helm.

While filming this movie, real guns and bullets were used. It must have been a scary thought while shooting?
Not really. A lot of precautions were taken to ensure that no one got hurt. We, actors, received prior training and were focussed during the firing sequences. With J P sir and army personnel around, we knew nothing would go wrong.

You were missing in action for some time but it seems now, you are back in the groove with Paltan and Simmba...
I’ve always believed that it’s the film that chooses the actor and not the other way round. For about a year, I didn’t have any work and then suddenly I had back-to-back movies. Patience and perseverance always pays. I trusted my instincts and didn’t take up every offer that came my way.

What’s the update on the P V Sindhu biopic, which you are backing?
We’ve just completed the 24th draft of the script. Since the time I announced it, a lot of new developments have happened in her career. Hopefully, we’ll start work on it soon.

Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; January 31, 2018)

Sonu Sood’s easy charm is contagious. Getting into the family business would’ve been the obvious choice for him, but passion for films brought the engineering graduate into showbiz. In a candid chat, the actor-producer spoke to us about films, fitness and more. Excerpts:

This year is quite a busy one for you with Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi and Paltan in store...
When you start getting a lot of work, you have to be choosy, because a film might take you a step ahead or pull you back by two. This year, I am doing Paltan, Manikarnika - The Queen Of Jhansi and another period film, Kurukshetra (Tamil), so the year is busy.

Do you prefer period films?
Be it Shaheed-E-Azam or Jodhaa Akbar, I have always liked being a part of period films. Perhaps my upcoming films are extensions of that fascination. In Manikarnika, I play Sadashiv, a warrior, while in Kurukshetra, which is one of the most expensive films being made, I play the role of Arjun.

Did Paltan, in some way, help you realise your dream of joining the Army?
We shot for two months in Ladakh and lived the life of soldiers. I couldn’t join the Army, however, the dream of donning the uniform was fulfilled in this film. I have now started respecting our soldiers even more.

Initially perceived as the tough guy, you’ve experimented with a variety of genres, including comedy. Was it tough breaking the ‘angry young man’ image?
I was always into comedy. Even in college, I would come up with pranks and jokes... I think fusion works. Take Dabangg’s Chhedi Singh for example. In the script, the role was very serious, but I added a bit of comedy and it clicked.

There were reports of you collaborating with your Paltan costar Arjun Rampal again...
It’s a film called Sarvggun Sampanna. We are still in talks with Arjun. He is shooting somewhere, but once he is back, we will have a concrete plan in place. The film is a light-hearted comedy based in Bihar.

Sports biopics have found favour in Bollywood. Even you are producing a biopic on PV Sindhu...
I feel sports biopics are the need of the hour and Sindhu is someone who brought badminton into focus. I found her story very interesting. We have locked the script and will start approaching actors now.

Is there anyone specific in mind?
I would love it if Deepika Padukone plays the role. She has a badminton background, so we won’t have to work much on that. Or maybe a new girl who is also a badminton player.

After working with Jackie Chan, are there any more plans of collaborating with international artistes?
I think you can’t plan these things. If it has to happen, it will. I remember saying in an interview around 10 years ago that I wanted to work with Jackie and that happened. Let’s see if I get to work with any other international stars in the future.

You must’ve fond memories of working with Jackie...
He is one of the most special people in my life. I spent a year shooting with him and there were times he used to cook for us after pack-up. I mean, this was the same guy we’ve grown watching on screen and he was cooking meals for us. You don’t see that often.

Many stars are venturing into socially relevant cinema. Would you be doing something similar?
I would love to! In fact, I want to make a film on the problems that the people of Punjab are facing.

Many youngsters today are of the opinion that a chiselled body guarantees a role in Bollywood. What do you think of this perception?
A good physique doesn’t guarantee success in the industry. Today, gyms are filled with good-looking guys, but not all of them have the mental strength or passion to reinvent themselves if they become actors. Also, maintaining your physique is a tough job and requires dedication.

How do you do it?
For me, there are only 22 hours in a day. No matter what, I dedicate the remaining two hours to fitness.

Have you been on the receiving end of nepotism?
Well, I knew it was going to affect me because people connected to the industry will always have it easy. Having said that, I also know that my kids will have it a little easy if and when they get into the industry. I have had my share of struggles, but I have no regrets. I have always taken this process as a learning experience.

How is the experience of working with Kangana Ranaut in Manikarnika?
Not just Kangana, but the whole team is brilliant. I’ve seen the rushes and I think it’s going to be the biggest film of the year.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 2, 2017)

In a recent interview, P V Sindhu had said she’d like to play herself if a film was made on her. With Sonu Sood announcing a biopic on the 21-year-old Olympic medal-winning shuttler, rumour mills suggest actress Deepika Padukone, not P V, has been approached to play the protagonist.

Dippy, as we know, is the daughter of ex-badminton star Prakash Padukone and played the sport at national level championships. A source close to Deepika says, “It is natural to assume that she will be approached to play the part because she is familiar with the sport. Having said that, Deepika is fully invested in Padmavati now. If the part is offered to her and she likes the script and director, and has the time for it, she will surely give her nod. Sonu and she know each other from the time they worked in Happy New Year (2014), so it won’t be surprise.”

Responding to the casting buzz, Sonu says, “We have just got the rights. Nothing more has been decided on it yet. I am proud to have got the opportunity to present Sindhu’s remarkable journey. We will lock the director and cast soon. It is too early to talk about who will play the titular role.”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 1, 2017)