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Sunday, August 2, 2020

real heroes .. .. .. appreciating good deeds !


My knowledge of tinseldom can be written on the back of a postal stamp ! ~ while people enjoy movies during Covid 19 lockdown extending for almost 135 days now – I have not seen a single movie on TV or on You Tube or on Netflix or anywhere else. – yet this is a post appreciating a Cine actor. 

Remember seeing Chandramukhi in theatre in 2005.   Vadivelu garnered attention with his comedy in otherwise horror film written and directed by P. Vasu,   produced by Ramkumar Ganesan of Sivaji Productions. The film featured Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Jyothika, Vadivelu and Nayanthara alongisde Sonu Sood, Suvarna Mathew, Vineeth, Malavika and KR Vijaya. It was a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004), which itself was a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993). The soundtrack album and background score were composed by Vidyasagar. Kallazhagar  featuring Vijayakanth was a great hit.  The song ‘Vaararu Vaararu Azhagar Vaararu’ depicting Chithirai fest in Madurai was very well picturised. The man had a big role in that film too. 

The name you read among others (Sonu Sood) born in 1973 is the villain of that movie – he acts in many Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Punjabi films. In 2009, he received the Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Award for Best Villain and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is best known for roles in blockbuster films such as Yuva (2004), Athadu (2005), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Dabangg (2010), Dookudu (2011), Shootout at Wadala (2013), Happy New Year (2014), Kung Fu Yoga (2017) and Simmba (2018).  He has also appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres and Airtel.

This is no post on his acting skills nor the awards won !  -  Actor Sonu Sood has ascended to real-world superhero status almost overnight amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The actor – best known for essaying villainous roles in Indian cinema – is being hailed for turning good samaritan for thousands of migrant workers during the two-month-long coronavirus-induced lockdown.  Sonu Sood is no stranger to random acts of kindness and generosity – deeds he attributes to the lasting influence of his late parents, father Shakti Sagar Sood and mother Saroj Sood. Albeit a lesser-known-fact, the actor – who has been helping migrants stranded in Mumbai city return to their homes and villages – has always been a keen social activist and philanthropist.  In 2016, he also launched his own production house, Shakti Sagar Productions, named after his father. And yet, even while pursuing his passion for acting, Sonu has simultaneously sought various avenues to do social good.

After arranging buses and food for thousands of stranded migrants, Sonu Sood took to skies,  airlifting 177 workers stuck in Kerala amid the coronavirus lockdown. The actor arranged a special chartered flight for women who had been left stranded in the state's Ernakulam district, helping them return to Odisha.  The 177 women had been employed at a factory in Kochi, doing stitching and embroidery work. They were left without anywhere to go after the factory closed – Sonu Sood  arranged a special aircraft for the stranded women after getting to know about their plight from a close friend in Bhubaneswar. The actor started the process by obtaining necessary permits from the government to have the Kochi and Bhubaneswar airports opened. A special aircraft was called from Bengaluru to airlift the 177 women, who were then flown to Bhubaneswar in a two-hour journey to be reunited with their families. One of the Odisha migrant workers   Prashant Kumar Pradhan,   opened up a welding shop and named it - Sonu Sood Welding Shop. Prashant was able to return to his hometown after the actor helped him.

Mr Sood's initiative was acknowledged by Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik who took to Twitter on Friday to praise the actor. "Sonu Sood ji, your helping the Odia girls to return safely from Kerala is commendable. Kudos to your noble efforts. It's incredible to see how you are helping the needy reach their homes safely. 

This time, he is in news for promising a tractor to farmer Nageswara Rao's family who couldn't afford oxen. Sonu Sood, who is popular in Telugu cinema, promised a tractor to the family of farmer Nageswara Rao who let his two daughters plough field in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The family was facing a financial crisis and they couldn't afford oxen to plough their field. A video of a farmer's family went viral on social media where his daughters can be seen carrying the yoke.  Sonu Sood saw the video and promised a tractor for the family.

The media reports state that farmer V Nageswara Rao of Mahal Rajuvari Palli, KV Palli Mandal of Chittoor District used to earn his living by selling tea at Madanapalle town. He has been providing education to his daughters with the money he earns from the tea stall. Due to the lockdown, he returned to his village and his family is under financial distress. To make some money, they decided to cultivate peanuts at his small farmland in this season. But, they could not hire the oxen or labourers to do the work along with them. His two daughters decided to help their father. In the video that went viral, one can see the daughters ploughing the field while the farmer's wife scattering the seeds.

The story of the Nageswara Rao's family has moved many people. They requested the government to help them financially and take care of his daughters' education.
Hearty appreciations to the villain actor – hero in life Sonu Sood.  Not many know that before leaving the world stunned with his acting skills, Nana Patekar did odd jobs like painting zebra crossing on the roads and movie posters to earn a living.  After becoming big and earning much, he turned a generous donor.  While he can afford almost every luxury of life, Nana Patekar still chooses to live in a 1 BHK apartment with his mother.  He made  generous donation of 15,000 rupees per family to almost 62 families of the farmers who committed suicide in Marathwada region. He himself visited around 112 farmers’ families in Marathwada. His foundation   successfully managed to collect Rs. 22 crores from the people for farmer welfare.

Tsunami struck people bad – in Tamil Nadu thousands died on that black Sunday in Dec 2004.  SYMA too organized many rehabilitation measures.  Among those in forefront   in tsunami-hit areas,  was Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi who travelled all the way and stayed in Cuddalore, an area battered by tsunami.    Oberoi along with his father actor Suresh Oberoi and "spiritual guru" Swami Chidanand Saraswathi of the Paramath Niketan Ashram conducted a mass prayer at Thevanampatinam, a fishermen hamlet here, where tsunami waves wrecked havoc on December 26.  The actor provided essentials   like blankets, clothes and plastic buckets. As a long-term relief arrangement, Oberoi offered packages for  rebuilding  the houses, repair damaged boats and buy fishing nets.   

Real heroes and appreciations to them.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
1.8.2020



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