Sonu Sood (born 30 July 1973)[2][3] is an Indian actor, film producer, model, humanitarian, and philanthropist who works predominantly in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. He is known for his performances as the negative lead in most of his films and for his humanitarian work, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Sonu Sood | |
|---|---|
 Sood in 2009 | |
| Born | 30 July 1973 |
| Education | Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Nagpur (B.E. in Electronics Engineering) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse |
Sonali Shridhar Sood
(m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
In 2009, he received the Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Award for Best Villain and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Telugu for his work in the Telugu blockbuster Arundhati.[4] In 2010, he garnered the Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role and the IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for his performance in Bollywood film Dabangg.[5] In 2012, he received the SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role (Telugu) for his role in Julayi.[citation needed]
Sood's other successful works include Yuva (2004), Athadu (2005), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Ashok (2006), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Kandireega (2011), Dookudu (2011), Shootout at Wadala (2013), R... Rajkumar (2013), Happy New Year (2014), Devi (2016), Kung Fu Yoga (2017), Simmba (2018), and Kurukshetra (2019).[5] He also appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres and Airtel.[6][7]
In July 2016, he established the production house Shakti Sagar Productions, which is named after his father, Shakti Sagar Sood.[8] In September 2020, Sood was chosen for the ‛SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award’ by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for his humanitarian works during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10][11] In June 2022, he launched his social media app called Explurger.[12][13]
Education
editSonu Sood was educated at Sacred Heart School, Moga, Punjab[14] and B.Tech in Electronics Engineering at Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering (YCCE), Nagpur.[15]
Career
editIn 1999, Sood began his career through his first two Tamil language films, Kallazhagar and Nenjinile. He then appeared as an antagonist in the Telugu film Hands Up! in 2000. In 2001, he appeared in Majunu. He then began starring in Hindi films, with Shaheed-E-Azam, as Bhagat Singh in 2002. Sood earned recognition as Abhishek Bachchan's brother in Mani Ratnam's Yuva in 2004 and in Aashiq Banaya Aapne in 2005.[7]
In Tollywood, with the release of Super in 2005, he received greater recognition for his work.[16] In this film, his co-star was Nagarjuna as a high-tech thief. His next film was Athadu. In 2006, he again portrayed the antagonist in Ashok. It was an average grosser, but by now he had become popular in Telugu films.
In 2009, he played the role of Pasupathy in Arundhati. Following the Tollywood release of Arundhati, he played the role of Rajkumar Sujamal in the Indian epic film Jodha Akbar, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. In 2009, he played the role of gangster Bada in Anjaneyulu opposite Ravi Teja. In the latter half of 2009, he acted in another Telugu film Ek Niranjan, in which he again played the antagonist. In 2010, he played the lead antagonist in Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg, co-starring with Salman Khan.[17] His Kannada debut with Sudeep, Vishnuvardhana (2011), released to positive reviews of his performance.[18] He was appointed "the state icon of Punjab" by the state election commission.[19]
In April 2022, the popular reality show MTV Roadies - Season 18 was hosted by Sonu Sood in South Africa. As he reflected on the experience, he emphasized that the "magic" attribute of the show was that it demanded one to be absolutely real & every single day of our 45-day stay in South Africa was a learning experience for him.[20]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kallazhagar | Soumya Narayanan (Priest) | Tamil | |
| Nenjinile | Gangster | Tamil | ||
| 2000 | Hands Up! | Tuglak | Telugu | |
| Sandhitha Velai | Sandeep | Tamil | ||
| 2001 | Majunu | Heena's brother | Tamil | |
| 2002 | Shaheed-E-Azam | Bhagat Singh | Hindi | |
| Zindagi Khoobsurat Hai | Murad | Hindi | ||
| Raja | Bhavani | Tamil | ||
| 2003 | Ammayilu Abbayilu | Rakesh | Telugu | |
| Kovilpatti Veeralakshmi | Rajiv Mathur | Tamil | ||
| Kahan Ho Tum | Karan | Hindi | ||
| 2004 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero | Lt. Col Shah Nawaz Khan | Hindi | |
| Mission Mumbai | Capt. Rajeev Singh | Hindi | ||
| Yuva | Gopal Singh | Hindi | ||
| 2005 | Sheesha | Raj | Hindi | |
| Chandramukhi | Oomayan | Tamil | ||
| Super | Sonu | Telugu | ||
| Athadu | Malli | Telugu | ||
| Aashiq Banaya Aapne | Karan Oberoi | Hindi | ||
| Siskiyaan | Dr. Vishwas | Hindi | ||
| Divorce: Not Between Husband and Wife | Siddharth Joshi | Hindi | ||
| 2006 | Ashok | K K | Telugu | |
| Rockin' Meera | Prince | English | ||
| 2008 | Jodhaa Akbar | Prince Sujamal | Hindi | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| Mr Medhavi | Siddharth | Telugu | ||
| Singh Is Kinng | Lakhan 'Lucky' Singh | Hindi | ||
| Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi | Prem Ajmera | Hindi | ||
| 2009 | Arundhati | Pasupathi | Telugu | Nandi Award for Best Villain Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (Telugu) |
| Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge | Aryan | Hindi | ||
| Anjaneyulu | Bada | Telugu | ||
| Bangaru Babu | Rajendra | Telugu | ||
| Ek Niranjan | Johnny Bhai | Telugu | ||
| City of Life | Basu/Peter Patel | Arabic English Hindi |
||
| 2010 | Dabangg | Chhedi Singh | Hindi | IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role |
| 2011 | Shakti | Mukthar | Telugu | |
| Theenmaar | Sudhir | Telugu | ||
| Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap | ACP Karan Malhotra | Hindi | ||
| Kandireega | Bhavani | Telugu | ||
| Dookudu | Nayak | Telugu | CineMAA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role | |
| Vishnuvardhana | Adhishesha | Kannada | Nominated, SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role – Kannada Nominated, Sandalwood Star Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role Nominated, Bangalore Times Film Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role Male | |
| Osthe | Boxer Daniel | Tamil | ||
| 2012 | Maximum | Inspector Pratap Pandit | Hindi | |
| Uu Kodathara? Ulikki Padathara? | Phanindra Bhupathi | Telugu | ||
| Julai | Bittu | Telugu | Nominated, SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role (Telugu) | |
| Madha Gaja Raja | Unknown | Tamil | Unreleased | |
| 2013 | Shootout at Wadala | Dilawar Imtiaz Haksar | Hindi | |
| Ramaiya Vastavaiya | Raghuveer | Hindi | ||
| Bhai | James | Telugu | ||
| R... Rajkumar | Shivraj Gurjar | Hindi | ||
| 2014 | Entertainment | Arjun | Hindi | |
| Aagadu | Damodar | Telugu | ||
| Happy New Year | Jagmohan Prakash (Jag) | Hindi | ||
| 2016 | Saagasam | Bittu | Tamil | |
| Xuanzang | Harsha | Mandarin | ||
| Ishq Positive | Himself | Urdu | Pakistani Film Cameo appearance | |
| Devi | Raj Khanna | Tamil | Trilingual film; Also producer for Hindi version | |
| Abhinetri | Telugu | |||
| Tutak Tutak Tutiya | Hindi | |||
| 2017 | Kung Fu Yoga | Randall | Mandarin Hindi English |
|
| 2018 | Paltan | Maj. Bishen Singh | Hindi | |
| Simmba | Durva Ranade | Hindi | ||
| 2019 | Kurukshetra | Arjuna | Kannada | |
| Devi 2 | Raj Khanna | Tamil | Bilingual film; Cameo appearance | |
| Abhinetri 2 | Telugu | |||
| Sita | Basavaraju | Telugu | [21][22] | |
| 2021 | Alludu Adhurs | Gaja | Telugu | |
| 2022 | Acharya | Basava | Telugu | [23] |
| Samrat Prithviraj | Chand Bardai | Hindi | [24] | |
| 2023 | Thamilarasan | Rana Prathap Singh | Tamil | |
| Sreemanta | - | Kannada | [25] | |
| 2025 | Fateh | TBA | Hindi | Filming; Also directorial debut[26] |
Dubbing career
edit| Film title | Actor | Character | Dub Language | Original Language | Original Year release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Hercules | Kellan Lutz | Hercules/Alcides | Hindi | English | 2014 |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | MTV Roadies | Host | Season 19 & 20 |
Music videos
edit| Year | Track | Musical Artists | Director | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Pagal Nahi Hona | Sunanda Sharma, Jaani, Avvy Sra | Mahi Sandhu, Joban Sandhu | Punjabi | [27] |
| Saath Kya Nibhaoge | Tony Kakkar, Altaf Raja | Farah Khan | Hindi | [28] |
Personal life
editIn 1996, Sood married Sonali, a Telugu woman, who hails from Andhra Pradesh.[29] They have two sons named Ayaan and Ishant.[30] He is an eggetarian.[31]
Philanthropy
editSood Charity Foundation
editSood has founded the Sood Charity Foundation "to help people of all stature".[32] An initiative by Sood for providing free coaching to UPSC exam candidates from underprivileged financial backgrounds.[33] Sood was announced as the Delhi Government's brand ambassador of its Desh ke Mentor ("country mentor") programme by the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on 27 August 2021.[34]
SANKALP is one of the flagship campaigns of the Sood Charity Foundation. It is a free law entrance coaching program to assist people with academic guidance and other essential resources for CLAT and AILET exam preparation. The goal has been to bridge the gap between the less-privileged deserving candidates and Law schools.[35]
The train accident in Odisha's Balasore resulted in the death of over 250 people and left more than 1,000 injured. Sonu launched Helpline For Odisha Train Accident Victims and requests the government to set up a relief fund.[36][37]
Fraudsters impersonating Sood Charity Foundation
editAcross the country there are many volunteers and agents who have possibly associated to support the work of the organization and have started contacting people via twitter, Facebook and Instagram to impersonate Sonu Sood and Sonali Sood and are collecting fees in his name.[citation needed] They take the money online via bank transfers[38] and later withdraw the money via ATM machines. Reports also suggest that they spoof emails of Sood Charity Foundation. The Foundation has not actively taken steps to ensure this stops and contacting the foundation senior management is near impossible to most civilians.
Social work during the COVID-19 pandemic
editIn May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them.[39][40][41] In July 2020 he arranged a chartered flight to bring home over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, flying them from Bishkek to Varanasi.[42][43] His charity during the pandemic was lauded, and he was hailed as a real-life hero in India.[44]
On 25 July 2020, a video of a farmer's daughters ploughing a field, like bulls with a yoke on their shoulders, went viral over social media. Sood quickly sent the family a tractor.[45] On 5 August 2020, he helped 101 medical students, predominantly from Tamil Nadu, who were stranded in Moscow during the lockdown, reach Chennai safely on a chartered flight arranged by him after they contacted his team for help.[46] On his birthday he launched a website and app called Pravasi Rojgar to help migrant workers find suitable jobs amid the pandemic.[47][48] On 19 February 2021, Sood launched an initiative 'Ilaaj India' platform to provide healthcare services for needy people.[citation needed] In December 2020 he published I Am No Messiah, autobiographical book, narrating his journey to become an actor, and narrating his social work during the pandemic.[49]
On 17 April 2021, Sonu Sood tested positive for Coronavirus disease. He also shared a message for his fans in his post that read: "Covid – positive. Mood and spirit – super positive. Hi everyone, this is to inform you that I have tested positive this morning for COVID-19. As a part of precautions, I have already quarantined myself and taking utmost care. But don't worry this gives me ample time to solve your problems. Remember I am always there for you all."[50]
In 2021, Sood provided much-needed oxygen plants and cylinders for COVID-19 patients in India.[51] Sood and Kumar Vishwas have supported the Aao Gaon Bachayein ("Save the Villages") campaign started by comic poet and satirist Pankaj Prasun.[52][53]
Bibliography
edit- Sood, Sonu; Iyer, Meena (2020). I Am No Messiah. Penguin India. ISBN 978-0-14-345198-3.
References
edit- ^ Goyal, Divya (8 February 2016). "Sonu Sood's father passes away, actor says he is 'shattered'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Sonu Sood about his childhood memories with ANI".
- ^ Service, Tribune News. "Sonu Sood shares his birthday plans, reveals why he is making action-thriller 'Fateh'". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Joshi, Tushar (26 October 2009). "Sonu Sood Wins Nandi Award For Arundhati". Mid Day.
- ^ a b (AFP). "'Dabangg' wins best picture at IIFA awards". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Sonu Sood turns producer with Lucky Unlucky". The Hindu. 1 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Top 100 Handsome Indian Men – Sonu Sood". Webindia123.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
- ^ Kotwani, Hiren (28 January 2017). "Jackie Chan unveils the poster of Sonu Sood's production '2 in 1'". The Times of India.
- ^ "Sonu Sood's UNDP award makes his personal brand even taller". ET Brand Equity.com. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood joins the likes of Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio as he receives UN award". Wionews.com. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood receives SDG special humanitarian action award by UNDP". Business Standard. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Actor Sonu Sood Wants To 'Make People Addicted In A Good Way' With His Social Media App Explurger". outlookindia.com. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ Tech, HT (8 June 2022). "Sonu Sood App Explurger to Take on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter? Check Out the Rewards You'll Get". The Hindustan Times.
- ^ Service, Tribune News. "Actor Sonu Sood's father dies". Tribuneindia News Service.
- ^ Vanjani, Suhani (25 September 2012). "Interview with Sonu Sood". Nagpur Today. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Super – Telugu film – Nagarjuna, Ayesha Takia, Sonu Sood". Idlebrain.com. 7 May 2005. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
- ^ "Sonu's on a high". starboxoffice.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ "Kannada Review: 'Only Vishnuvardhana' is racy". IBNLive. 11 December 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Appointed As State Icon Of Punjab By Election Commission". NDTV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood | MTV Roadies : How Sonu Sood prepared to host 'MTV Roadies'? He turned into a Roadie to connect with contestants". The Economic Times. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ Vijayakumar, Sindhu (6 April 2019). "Tamil cinema is my first love: Sonu Sood". The Times of India.
- ^ Iyengar, Anusha (3 April 2019). "Kajal Aggarwal shares a 'chilling' shot from her upcoming Telugu film, Sita [PHOTO]". Times Now.
- ^ "Sonu Sood on shooting with Chiranjeevi: He refused to hit me on screen, saying people will curse him". 20 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
- ^ "BREAKING: Yash Raj Films announces theatrical release dates for Bunty Aur Babli 2, Prithviraj, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Shamshera!". Bollywood Hungama. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "SreemantaU". The Times of India.
- ^ "Sonu Sood, Jacqueline Fernandez starrer 'Fateh' starts filming in Punjab". The Hindu. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Sunanda Sharma's latest song 'Pagal Nahi Hona' ft. Sonu Sood is out". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Jain, Vaishali (3 August 2021). "Saath Kya Nibhaoge: Sonu Sood, Nidhhi Agerwal drops FIRST glimpse of music video". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Sonu Sood". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
And, I don't know if many people know this, but I'm married to a Telugu girl.
- ^ Garoo, Rohit (15 November 2016). "Sonu Sood Marriage: The First Love Is Forever For This Actor". The Bridal Box. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Dedhia, Sonil. "Want a bikini body like Esha Gupta? Read this!". Rediff. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "About Us". Sood Charity Foundation. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Bharadwaj, Akanksha (14 June 2021). "Sonu Sood Free IAS Coaching Scholarship [Sambhavam] by Sood Charity Foundation: Apply by June 30". Lawctopus. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Bose, Joydeep (27 August 2021). "Sonu Sood to be brand ambassador for Delhi's mentorship initiative, says Kejriwal". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ Kohli, Robbie (28 March 2017). "SANKALP – Free Law Education". Sood Charity Foundation.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Launches Helpline For Odisha Train Accident Victims". Zee News. 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Launches Helpline To Help Odisha Train Accident Victims". News18. 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Sonu Sood thanks Cyberabad police for saving his name from fraudsters". The Siasat Daily. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ Gosh, Raya (24 May 2020). "Sonu Sood trends online for helping migrants go back home. Real hero, says Internet". India Today. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Dixit, Prashant (24 May 2020). "Sonu Sood is the new Sushma Swaraj, helping stranded Indians one Twitter request at a time". ThePrint. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Punjab CM hails 'Moga boy Sonu Sood' for helping migrant workers in crisis". ANI News. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Kapil Sharma tells Sonu Sood 'You have played a villain in films but you are a real life hero'". Times of India. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood arranges charter flights for over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, group of airborne students send actor message of gratitude". Times of India. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ Pandey, Geeta (25 May 2020). "Bollywood actor hailed for helping stranded migrants". BBC News. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ Pavan, P. (26 July 2020). "Andhra Pradesh: Sonu Sood sends tractor to Chittoor farmer to plough fields". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood's largesse continues, actor helps 100 TN students stranded in Moscow reach Chennai". 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Launches App With Three Lakh Job Opportunities For Migrant Workers". Mumbai Live. Mumbai Live. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood is now Punjab icon, announces Election Commission". Hindustan Times. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Sonu Sood's autobiography to be titled 'I Am No Messiah'". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Tests Positive For COVID-19: "Mood And Spirit – Super Positive"". NDTV. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Sonu Sood Brings Oxygen Plants From France To Fight Covid-19, Says 'Time is Biggest Challenge". India.com. 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Sonu Sood, Kumar Vishwas back poet's Covid care campaign". Hindustantimes. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Sonu Sood joints hands with Kumar Vishwas for 'Aao Gaon Bachayein". The daily Guardian. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
External links
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