‘The South provided a huge boost to my career’
Sonu Sood is excited about his role in the YSR film Samrat Prithviraj
Sonu Sood’s character Chand Bardai plays an important role in the upcoming film Samrat Prithviraj. He talks to DC about the role, and about his progress in the film industry, both in Bollywood and in the South.
Q
Chand Bardai was an Indian poet who composed Prithviraj Raso a Braj Language epic poem about the life of Prithviraj Chauhan, a Rajput king from Chahamana dynasty. How did you like playing this character?
My mother was a professor of History and English. I heard stories about Prithviraj Chauhan from my childhood. But I had never imagined that I would one day have a part in a historical action drama based on his story.
My character Chand Bardai was a friend of Prithviraj, and also an astrologer, who could predict the future. Prithviraj never made a move on the battlefield without his knowledge. If Chand Bardai said there was to be no warfare, Prithviraj accepted that. Such stories, the highlights of various eras, must be told, especially to the current generation. Such stories were previously told to us by our parents and elders. Today, however, children learn about these stories through technology.
Q
You say Chand Bardai was an astrologer. So he must have known when Prithviraj was destined to die. Why did he not hold Prithviraj back from going to battle?
You will have to wait and watch the film to find out the answer to that question.
Q Is this your first YRF film? Why did you take so long to achieve this milestone?
Yes, it’s my first film under the YRF label. It took them 23 years to get to me! [smiles] Actually, I received a YRF script earlier and was very excited about it, but I had to decline it because I did not understand the character. It was a difficult decision to refuse to be a part of that film, and I worried that there might not be another opportunity with YRF. But here I am! I was excited that
Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi wrote this character keeping me in mind.
I started getting offers in Tamil and then Telugu, and I just kept working. We have to keep on fighting, and the course will change to success.
Q
Do you feel that working in the South was a huge boost for your career, and that it brought good offers pouring in from Bollywood too?
Yes, working in the South was a big help in my career. My learning there was huge. Also, it helped me choose the right Bollywood films. I was very busy working down South, and at times I had to refuse films with big production houses. I felt secure working in the South. It prevented me from choosing the wrong films in Bollywood.
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How do you your journey?
I am an engineer. I knew that when you come from a non-film background, you will have to face a lot of ups and downs. When you land here in Mumbai without any acquaintances or Godfather, you don’t know which road leads to which studio. Also, people want to pull you down, whether you have connections or not, as they don’t like seeing another person progress. Unfortunately, that’s what the world is like. Success is important, but how long you can sustain is also important.
When I first moved here, I planned to stay for about two years. But those two years were spent simply learning Mumbai’s roads! I’m out of that funk, and I realise there’s so much more to the world than Bollywood. I also believe that our recent experiences have taught us many valuable lessons.
“IT’S MY FIRST FILM UNDER THE YRF LABEL. IT TOOK THEM 23 YEARS TO GET TO ME! [SMILES] ACTUALLY, I RECEIVED A YRF SCRIPT EARLIER AND WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT I HAD TO DECLINE IT BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER.”