BENGALURU: Coming from Mumbai to Bengaluru to meet the underprivileged, actor-producer Sonu Sood tells CE about putting his film career on the back burner to focus on philanthropy and choosing his productions carefully
When Covid-19 took the world by storm, some of the most affected were migrant workers who had left their homes in distant cities in search of a livelihood. Suddenly faced with lockdown restrictions, thousands of them were forced to undertake an arduous trek back to the safety of their hometowns. Meanwhile, an influx of people sick from the virus was overwhelming the country’s health sector, with severe shortages of basic necessities. At a time when the entire country was struggling to grapple with the situation, many rose to assist the needy. And actor-producer Sonu Sood was one of them.
Recently in the city for a visit to AiR humanitarian homes in Chikkagubbi, an NGO that shelters the homeless and poor, providing them with healthcare and basic necessities, Sood interacted with the founder Ravi Melwani, aka, Atman in Ravi. “Today, even if one person is sick in our households, it’s difficult to take care of them. And here, they are trying to bring a change, taking care of hundreds of sick and vulnerable people. It was a learning experience for me,” says Sood.
One of the most popular actors in the country, Sood has not only worked across various film industries in the country but has also worked with international stars like Jackie Chan. But over the last few years, he has put his film career on the back burner to focus on his philanthropic efforts. His last in Kannada was the 2019 epic film Kurukshetra. “Initially, I was just an actor trying to do films in different languages. But now a lot of my time is taken by other work that I’ve been doing. It will definitely have an effect on the number of films I do, but all I can say is that whatever production I do, will be the best ones. In fact, my next one is in the south industry,” says Sood, who ‘wishes’ he had a home in Bengaluru.
Having turned 47 just last Sunday, the Punjabi actor had a birthday bash with fellow Bollywood actors – Jacqueline Fernandez, co-star of his latest film Fateh. Surprised at the number of fans who travelled hundreds of miles to greet him, Sood says, “From the last few years, more and more people have been coming from all over the country. Some even sell their personal belongings to reach me. The amount of love that people show me just leaves me speechless. I promise myself every single day that I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and be genuine.”
As someone who has donned multiple roles in life – a model, actor, producer and recently a philanthropist – Sood believes that reinventing oneself is the way to live an exciting life. “In life, you need to find new ways to bring out the child in you. I go through that phase every single day when I meet new people and learn from new experiences,” he adds.
Sood has chosen a path much different from his counterparts and redirects his earnings from films towards charity. Though he claims not to be a ‘billionaire’, he says, “A major part of whatever I’ve been earning in the last few years has been going towards philanthropy. These days, my ambition is much more than earning those numbers or creating a fortune.”