Sonu Sood is an Indian actor, model, and film producer, born on July 30, 1973, in a Rajput family in Punjab. He has worked in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Kannada, English Chinese, and Tamil films. He was also a popular face in many advertisements for brands like Airtel, Apollo Tyres, etc. He rose to fame with his role as a villain in some films. This reel life villain proved to be a real-life hero for underprivileged people amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In spite of all the controversies, he is still one of the most loved actors in Bollywood and Tollywood.
Sonu Sood Personal Details
| Name | Sonu Sood |
| Age | 48 years (as of 2021) |
| Date of Birth | 30-Jul-73 |
| Place of Birth | Moga, Punjab, India |
| Profession | Actor, model, producer |
| Father’s Name | Shakti Sagar Sood (Entrepreneur) |
| Mother’s Name | Saroj Sood (Teacher) |
| Siblings | Monika Sood (Elder sister – scientist) and Malvika Sachar (Younger sister – politician) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Sonali Sood |
| Children | Ayaan Sood and Eshaan Sood |
| Hobbies | Kickboxing, playing guitar and doing workout |
Sonu Sood Early Life
- Sonu Sood was born in an upper-middle-class Rajput family in Moga, Punjab.
- He started pursuing modeling and acting when he was in his second year of college.
- After completing his graduation, he worked at his father’s showroom in Moga for some time. There he learned to identify different fabrics and ways to sell them.
- Sonu spent his initial days in Mumbai in a single-room kitchen apartment with 6 other boys.
- He did a job in a private firm in Mumbai to meet his daily expenses.
- Before becoming an actor, he had participated in Grasim Mr. India and reached top 5.
Sonu Sood Educational Qualifications
- Sonu Sood did his schooling at Sacred Heart School, Moga.
- He graduated in electronic engineering from Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Nagpur.
Sonu Sood Career
- Sonu Sood started his career in 1999 and debuted with Tamil film, Kallazhagar.
- He played an antagonist in the Telugu film, Hands Up!.
- In 2002, he made his Bollywood debut with ‘Shaheed-E-Azam,’ where he played the role of Bhagat Singh.
- He broke into the limelight in 2004 with the Bollywood movie, ‘Yuva,’ where he played the role of Abhishek Bachchan’s brother and ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’ in 2005.
- Sonu gained recognition in Tollywood in 2005 with the film, ‘Super’.
- Subsequently, he appeared in many other Telugu films like, ‘Athadu’, ‘Ashok’, ‘Arundhati’, ‘Ek Niranjan’ and ‘Shakti’.
- In 2009, he played the role of Rajkumar Sujamal in the Indian epic film, ‘Jodha Akbar’.
- In 2010, he got a lead role in ‘Dabangg,’ co-starring with Salman Khan.
- In 2011, Sonu made his debut in Kannada cinemas with the comedy thriller film, ‘VIshnuvardhana’.
- He made his debut in Hollywood in 2017 with the film, ‘Rockin’ Meera.’
- He also featured in a Chinese film, ‘Xuanzang.’
- Some of his other successful works are – Ashok (2006), 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).
- He also dubbed for the English film, ‘The Legend of Hercules,’ released in 2014, in Hindi.
- In December 2020, Sonu published his autobiography, “I Am No Messiah,” narrating his journey of becoming an actor and his social work during the Covid pandemic.
- Sonu has also featured in various magazines like, ‘You & I,’ ‘Health & Nutrition,’ ‘Just Urbane’ and ‘Krunch Today’.
Sonu Sood Awards and Recognitions
- On August 27, 2021, Sonu Sood was announced as the Delhi Government’s brand ambassador of its ‘Desh ke Mentor’ program by the Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal.
- He founded the Sood Charity Foundation “to help people of all stature.”
- The residents of Chelimi Tanda under Dabba in Telangana have constructed a temple dedicated to Sonu Sood for his remarkable efforts for the migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- He received the Andhra Pradesh state Nandi award for best villain in 2009.
- Sonu also received the Filmfare award for the Best Supporting Actor for his Telugu blockbuster, Arundhati, in 2009.
- In 2010, his negative role in Dabangg was applauded with two awards – the Apsara award for best actor and IIFA award for best performance.
- He received the SIIMA award for best actor in a negative role for his Telugu film, Julayi, in 2012.
- In 2016, he established his production house called ‘Shakti Sagar Productions,’ named after his father, Shakti Sagar Sood.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) chose Sonu Sood for ‘SDG Special Humanitarian Action award’ in September 2020, for his humanitarian work during the Covid-19 pandemic.