Statues of Bollywood heroes are present across the globe, but only one has a temple dedicated to him: Sonu Sood. On Tuesday, locals of Siddipet, Telangana, built a temple with Sood’s statue to commemorate his unparalleled efforts for the common people during COVID-19. To this, the actor replied, “This is an extremely overwhelming moment. But at the same time, I don’t deserve this. I’m just a common man who helped his brothers and sisters.”
Known for his powerful on-screen presence as the ‘villain’, Sonu Sood was touted as a national hero for his efforts to help migrant workers. While people waited for the government to take an action, Sonu Sood, with a team of 6 people, organized 10 buses for migrants to travel from Mumbai to their respective homes. However, after witnessing the success and understanding the need, there was no looking back.
Sood set up a common helpline number, where an individual could inform about his/her current location, home town, and the number of people traveling with him. Gradually, the effort transformed into a movement, and countless buses, trains, and flights sponsored by the actor helped migrants unite with their loved ones. In addition, he has donated more than 2,000 PPE kits for doctors in Punjab and arranged food for the migrants.
On September 15, Sonu Sood mortgaged eight personal properties located in Juhu, Mumbai to Standard Chartered Bank in order to raise Rs 10 crore loan for needy people. Furthermore, he took to Twitter as he launched “Khud Kamao Ghar Chaalo” – An initiative that enables people to get a free e-rickshaw and attempt to meet survival ends for their families. This is a second initiative by the actor after Pravasi Rojgar app that connects companies with potential employees for jobs and upskilling.
For his efforts, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has honored Sonu Sood with SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award.
His book titled “I Am No Messiah” is set to be published by Penguin Random House India, which documents his experiences of helping people during COVID-19.
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