From Migrant Relief To Student Support: The Many Lives Touched By Sonu Sood

Actors and Bollywood stars often expand their careers through businesses and brand ventures. But Sonu Sood ended up building something very different. His asset is public trust.

For years, audiences watched him play ruthless and intimidating characters in films like Dabangg, R... Rajkumar, Arundhati, and more. But his off-screen identity changed completely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When thousands of migrant workers were stranded far from home, Sonu Sood emerged as the ‘maseeha’ (saviour). What began with arranging buses soon turned into something much bigger. From travel and medical support to financial help, people across the country started turning to him in moments of desperation.

The most unusual part was not just the help itself, but the accessibility. In a time when many people felt disconnected from systems and authorities, they found themselves directly messaging an actor for help and often getting a response.

In 2021, Sonu Sood was announced as the Delhi Government's brand ambassador for its Desh ke Mentor initiative. The move aimed to bring together 3 lakh young professionals and guide and mentor 10 lakh Delhi government school students for a bright future.

But what’s interesting is that even today, the image is retained. With time, it only grew stronger. Even today, people continue to gather outside his residence with requests, hoping he might help solve a problem that no one else could.

During a fireside chat at the India 2030 Leadership Conclave, 2026, Sonu Sood launched a new campaign called Ruk Jana Nahi under the Sood Charity Foundation. This campaign is to help needy elderly people with knee replacement surgery.

He said, “On the occasion of World Health Day, let’s help our parents walk as they did for us when we were kids.”

From Moga To Millions of Hearts

Born to Professor Saroj Sood and Shakti Sagar Sood, he hails from Moga, Punjab. After completing B.Tech in Electronics Engineering at Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering (YCCE), Nagpur, Sonu Sood shifted to Mumbai to become an actor.

Some of his most successful films are Ashok, Jodhaa Akbar, Arundhati, Ramaiya Vastavaiya, Happy New Year, etc.

His social work came to light during the pandemic. He said, “ Some people told me that you can’t help everyone. You have to choose a section of people with a specific set of problems that you want to support. Otherwise, you’ll get lost. But I can’t turn down a needy person saying that my work doesn’t concern the problems you are facing.”

Today, his foundation offers free UPSC coaching to students from underprivileged financial backgrounds. In addition, his foundation also runs a campaign called Sankalp. The initiative offers free coaching for law entrance exams, helping students prepare for CLAT and AILET through academic support, mentorship, and access to important study resources.

The 2023 tragic train accident in Balasore, Odisha, claimed more than 250 lives and injured over 1,000 people. Sonu Sood stepped forward to support affected families. He launched a helpline number for the victims and their relatives, while also urging the government to create a dedicated relief fund for those impacted by the disaster.

The number of his contributions to society is countless. He said, “Sometimes even after achieving a lot, you feel something is missing. That’s what keeps us going. We tell ourselves that we still have miles to go.”

Other than the knee replacement surgery campaign, one of the recent initiatives of the foundation is Shiksha Sarathi. Under this, the foundation aims to cross the 10,000-student benchmark, ensuring that no child is held back due to the lack of basic learning materials, of which a notebook is the most crucial one for revisions and practice.

In the name of his late mother, Professor Saroj Sood, his foundation offers scholarships to students who pass their final board exam despite financial challenges. Under this, the foundation is tied with some universities for the higher education of the students.

From arranging buses for stuck migrant workers to offering scholarships and coaching, from knee surgery to distribution of notebooks, Sonu Sood’s philanthropic approach has added a new meaning to how the Indian audience looks at Bollywood celebrities.

The Silent Force Behind The ‘Maseeha’

Sonu Sood is of the view that when people get some free time for themselves, they get to think about what they want. “During my Roadies shoot in South Africa, I got time for myself a bit. So I used that time and put the ammunition together, which helped me survive this warfare,” he said at the conclave.

According to him, his sons Ayaan Sood and Ishan Sood have taken up the responsibility to take this journey forward. One of them recently helped an IIT student arrange his fee. “I learn from my children everyday. I wish I had the same thing at their age,” he said.

He is of the view that it is the upbringing of his late parents that enabled him to do what he does. He said, “They are certainly around me and probably they are getting these done by me. But I just miss seeing the expressions on their faces when I do these things.”

The Rare Power Of Being Reachable

According to Sonu Sood, nothing is easy or smooth. He also faced challenges while extending help to people. At the conclave, he humorously, he said, “There is a dialogue in a film that I am writing that helps. People forget it when you do it, and people remember when you don’t.”

That statement quietly reflects the kind of responsibility that now follows him everywhere. During the pandemic, people were not just looking for help. They were looking for someone who would respond. At a time when many felt lost in systems and uncertainty, Sonu Sood made himself reachable.

Years later, that connection remains. People continue to arrive at his doorstep, message him on social media, and turn to him during moments of crisis. In many ways, that has become his biggest contribution through not just the help he offered, but the trust he built.

In the industry, standing on visibility, Sonu Sood’s relevance is built on the foundation of trust and accessibility. That sets him apart in the star-studded universe of Bollywood.