Sonu Sood

Sonu Sood (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian film actor, and producer who acts predominantly in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Punjabi films.

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. 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 the Bollywood blockbuster Dabangg. In 2012, he received the SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Julayi. He is best known for roles in blockbuster films such as Yuva (2004), Athadu (2005), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Dabangg (2010), Dookudu (2011), Shootout at Wadala (2013), Happy New Year (2014), Kung Fu Yoga (2017) and Simmba (2018).

He also appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres and Airtel.

In July 2016, he established the production house Shakti Sagar Productions, which is named after his father, Shakti Sagar Sood.

Career

In 1999, Sood was introduced to Tamil language films with 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.

In Tollywood, with the release of Super in 2005, he received greater recognition for his work. 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. His Kannada debut with Sudeep, Vishnuvardhana (2011), released to positive reviews of his performance.

Personal life

Sood married his wife Sonali in 1996. They have two sons, Ishant and Ayaan.

Social service

In May 2020, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sood helped thousands of stranded Indian migrant workers to reach their homes throughout India by arranging buses, special trains and chartered flights for them. His charity social service during the pandemic was lauded and was hailed as a real life hero in India. On July 25th 2020, during Covid19 pandemic time, a video of the farmer's daughters ploughing the field by working like bulls with yoke on their shoulders went viral over social media, Sonu Sood sent the family will a tractor by evening.