Sonu Sood, the name needs no introduction of now. The real-life hero, in the time of the pandemic, who helped hundreds of migrants to get back to their homes during the first wave of Pandemic back in 2020. However, now that the whole world knows him, not many know how he actually struggled and thrived to reach where he is today. Starting his journey with just 5500 in Mumbai to now owning 130 crores net worth, the actor has truly come a long way.
“When I came to Mumbai, I came on a train and had no reservation. When I was doing my engineering in Nagpur, I used to travel in buses and trains without reservation. When I saw those migrants walking on roads, with their kids, elders, those were the most disturbing visuals of my life. I decided I am not going to sit at home and crib about it”.
Talking of how his mother’s teaching made him what he is today, said, “My mother used to says that ‘if you can’t help anyone then don’t consider yourself successful’. My background, the values my parents imbibed in me are the reason I am doing this,”
Further, Sonu’s sister also talked in an interview about her brother’s struggle in the row, saying, “When my brother was an engineering student in Nagpur, he would travel back home sleeping on the floor in vacant small spaces near toilets in the train compartments. Our father would send him money, but he would just try to save whatever he could. He always valued our father’s hard work. When he was struggling to begin his modelling career in Mumbai, he lived in rooms where there wasn’t even an inch of space to toss and turn while sleeping. He would have to stand up to turn sides…there was no space. Maybe that’s why now he can understand the pain of migrants, that longing and helplessness to just reach home,”
She added, “He never shared this with us, but after his first movie released, and he came home and said, ‘Aaj main seat pe baithke aaya hu, bada achha lag raha hai (I came home on a seat today, really felt good)’. It was then he told us that he used to spread a sheet of paper on floor in train and travel sitting there.”
Later, talking to Times of India, Sonu Sood opened up on how he came to Mumbai to start a career in films, saying, “When someone comes to Mumbai, he or she is clueless about how this city works. I came here for just a year. I thought agar nahi hua toh ek saal baad chala jaaonga (if nothing happens in a year, I will go back. It took me 18 months to just figure out the roads and buildings that mattered).” as quoted by The Indian Express.
