EXCLUSIVE: “When some people pointed fingers at me, I invited them to be a part of my team,” Sonu Sood on dealing with negative comments

Towards the end of March 2020, a nationwide lockdown was announced in India. This is the first time something like this had happened and overnight everything had changed. With regular services disrupted, many were out of job and looking for ways to reach their hometown. Actor Sonu Sood stood up and decided to help migrants reach their home. However, he did not stop there and set up a team to help as many people as possible with various issues. His philanthropic work is known to all today. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Sonu Sood spoke about the resistance he faced on his journey and how he overcame it.

Talking about the advice he got from a filmmaker before he began his journey, Sonu said, “When I took my first step, my director Dr Chandra Prakash Dwivedi with whom I am doing Prithviraj, told me that ‘in this journey that you have set on, you will come across many people who will comment on it and even try to pull you down, but you should not stop’. Many people stop doing good when others bad mouth them. So, he told me not to stop and to go on and that one day I will reach closer to the aim for which I had started the journey.”

Instead of dealing with negativity, he believed in being transparent and invited naysayers to join him. “I remember that when some people pointed fingers at me, I invited them to be a part of my team, because you should know how this world works. Then they joined the team and even today they feel ashamed that they pointed fingers at me and when they are working with the team they are realizing how many lives they are touching,” the actor said.

“I remember that when I started sending the migrants back home, I thought after sending them home our job was done. But then I realized they are the same people who will turn around and ask- 'when we will get our jobs' and 'who will assist us with medical issues and who will pay for our child's education'. So, all these issues were raised one by one and I got associated with them and we started changing lives and continue to do so. Today, thousands are getting their surgery done, education of thousands have been taken care of and lakhs are getting employed. So, I am glad I am part of this chain,” he further said, talking about his journey.

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