Actor has sent a batch of 300 home to their villages and more will leave soon; calls his work during the pandemic the role of a lifetime
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 19, 2020)

Sonu Sood became a real-life hero during the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown, sending thousands of migrant labourers from across the country and even abroad, back home. And the actor isn’t done yet. With the annual 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival starting on Saturday, he is now sending batches of migrant labourers from the city to their villages in remote areas of Maharashtra and Konkan so that they can be with their families. “Recently, some migrant workers who live in Lalbaug and behind the Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi reached out to me with a plea. I organised buses for them with all the necessary permissions. The first batch of around 300 left five days ago and another batch will leave soon,” he informs.

Sonu, however, is quick to add that migrants also need jobs to survive and they have employed over a lakh through their Pravasi Rojgar initiative with another 10,000 interviews lined up over the next two days. “We are also evacuating medical students stuck in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and the Philippines. Till now, 11,000 have returned home through our initiative,” he says proudly, adding that they are also trying to connect labourers with doctors and helping them with school admissions and online courses.

Sonu’s two sons, Eshaan and Ayaan, are also contributing in their own ways. “They get a lot of messages on social media from people in need and we follow up on them. They have realised that there’s joy in giving back to the society,” he shares, saying that no matter when they step out, there are people waiting outside their home. “They stand by my side and listen to me speak to them and take care of their needs. I feel reassured knowing they will carry my good deeds forward when they grow up.” And will they follow him into films too? “It’s too early to take a call on that. I just tell them to work hard and focus on studies for now. When the time comes and they want to, I will be there for them too,” he responds.

Sonu’s bringing Ganesh home too but insists that the celebrations will be controlled this year but there will be more love. “We need to take care of ourselves given the times we are living in but it’s the family that makes a festival worth celebrating and I am lucky to have mine around me,” he avers. “And what’s more is I now have a family in every state. People send me pictures from their home and make me a part of their celebrations. I have done movies that earned big but this is the role-of-a-lifetime in the biggest blockbuster ever. Now, I realise that the reason I came to this city was to help these people.”

Sonu’s good deeds haven’t gone unnoticed. The actor informs, several makers and writers with scripts have approached him for a biopic. He hasn’t given the nod yet because “I feel it’s a bit too early”. However, a book on him, focusing primarily on his philanthropy during the pandemic will be published soon. And there are some offers from big filmmakers that he’s excited about. “They are different, larger-than-life, positive roles that I have always wanted to play. It’s heartening that the best of producers, directors and writers want to work with me today. But I have been so busy that I haven’t been able to read too many of these scripts because my mind is still preoccupied with this work. I have asked the makers for some more time to get back,” he signs off.

The actor talks to BT about what motivated him to reach out to the migrant workers who are stuck in Mumbai, and how their plight reminded him of his struggling days
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; May 28, 2020)

Over the past few weeks, Sonu Sood has been in the news for being a saviour of migrant workers, who are stuck in Mumbai amidst the Coronavirus lockdown. The actor, with the help of his friends Neeti Goel, Pankaj Jalisatgi and Harsh Sikariya, has been arranging buses to help them return home.

He says, “I went all out to help these migrants because I was a migrant, too, who came to Mumbai with a lot of dreams. When I saw photographs of their sufferings and read heart-wrenching stories of how they are walking thousands of kilometres without food and water, it reminded me of my early days. I first came to Mumbai by train, without a reserved ticket. I stood by the door and slept in the space next to the washroom. I know what struggle is.”

So far, Sonu and his team have managed to send buses to Karnataka, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. His wife Sonali and sons Eshaan and Ayaan, too, have joined him in his endeavour. “We recently started a helpline, on which we have been receiving calls from distressed migrants. When I get a call, my wife notes it down and the kids make a list of who will go in which bus,” says the actor, who also looks into the paperwork for the travel, including medical test reports.

His friends from the film industry are also supporting him wholeheartedly. “Rohit Shetty and Tabu are in touch with me. Farah Khan calls me everyday to check if I need any help. She also volunteered to offer drinking water to these migrants,” says Sonu, who often ends up working 22 hours a day, to get everything organised.

“I am also looking at sending migrants home to Telangana, but the state is not accepting people from Maharashtra as of now. So, I will wait. I intend to work till the last migrant reaches his hometown,” he signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 27, 2015)

It's been more than a month since Sonu Sood started shooting with Hollywood star Jackie Chan for Stanley Tong's Kung Fu Yoga in Dubai. Mirror has now learnt that the two action heroes have hit it off so well, they are bonding even off the sets. Jackie recently took Sonu, his wife Sonali and sons Ayaan and Ishant, out for dinner last Friday, along with the film's cast and crew.

"He is a fantastic host. I have always admired his work and it's great to share screen space with him. He is one of the most grounded stars I have ever met," Sonu says, adding that his wife and kids came down to visit him since he'd been away shooting round the clock and was missing them. "They were elated to meet Jackie. He was personally going to each table to make sure that everyone was comfortable," the actor recalls.

The dinner took place at a plush Dubai restaurant with lip-smacking Chinese cuisine on the menu. "We had a superb time. Jackie loves Indian food and I have promised to treat him to some Indian delicacies whenever he is in the country next," states the 42-year-old actor, adding that he grew up watching Jackie's films, especially the Police Story series, Rumble in the Bronx and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. The actor returns to Mumbai next week.