From nowhere to everywhere...

With varied filmography, Sonu Sood says he wants his fans to remember him as an actor who carved a niche for himself despite being from a non-filmy background

He came from a small town like Moga in Punjab and has worked his way into movies featuring stars like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, apart from international star Jackie Chan.

Learning new things

Actor Sonu Sood says his learning has increased every time he has worked with new directors. “My acting journey has been quite interesting. Coming from a small town like Moga to working with Jackie Chan, it has been quite a journey, even though there are miles to go,” Sonu said. “My learning has progressed with ever y new director I’ve worked with and the different languages I’ve had to learn for my films. Whatever I am today and the knowledge I have about my craf t are through the sheer experience I’ve had in front of the camera,” he added.

Modelling days

Sonu started out as a model before venturing into showbiz in 1999 with Tamil film Kallazhagar. With no Bollywood backing, he made his name with films like Yuva, JodhaaAkbar, Dabangg and HappyNewYear. His upcoming films include Rohit Shetty’s Simmba with Ranveer Singh and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi with Kangana Ranaut. “My new role in Simmba is ver y special and an exciting one. The prep has already begun, and I can’t wait to face the camera soon. With Ranveer, Rohit, and all of us together, I can promise you that it is going to be the biggest entertainer of this year,” he said. And what about working on a period film again af ter JodhaaAkbar? “I’m working on Manikarnika as I enjoy acting in period films. I started my acting journey playing Bhagat Singh and went on to act in JodhaaAkbar and Kurukshetra. These kinds of films are challenging, but give you a lot of scope to mould yourself as an actor.”

Leaving a mark

With a varied filmography, how does he want to be remembered in the mind of his fans and followers? “I think I would love to be remembered as an actor who came from nowhere and worked hard to find a place for himself in the industr y. In the coming years, if I am able to leave a mark as a filmmaker as well as an actor, I think my job is done,” said Sonu, who is also a film producer. I came to the city to make my parents proud, and I am sure that they will be, as I am pursuing my dreams and working hard,” he added.