Sonu Sood's 51st Birthday: When The Dabangg Actor Didn't Have Money Even For Train Tickets

Sonu Sood may have acted in very few films as the lead but he has successfully carved a niche in the film industry as a menacing antagonist or supporting roles. With his charming good looks and a ripped physique to die for, he is considered one of the most good-looking villains out there. But did you know that Sonu Sood started his career playing the role of legendary revolutionary Bhagat Singh? The actor celebrated his 51st birthday on July 30. On this occasion, let us take a look at his career and journey.

Sonu Sood, born on July 30, 1973, in Moga, Punjab, aspired to become an actor from a young age. However, he moved from Punjab to Nagpur to pursue engineering studies. The initial phase of his career involved significant struggles, as balancing modelling and theatre with his engineering education in Nagpur proved challenging.

Consequently, he decided to leave Nagpur for Mumbai, where he faced even greater hardships. According to a report by Hindustan Times, Sonu Sood arrived in Mumbai with just Rs 5,500. He had neither a place to stay nor sufficient money for food. Travelling within the city was also a major difficulty for him. He lived in a house shared by 12 people under the same roof. To travel by local train, he would stand near the toilet, so that when the ticket inspector (TT) approached, he could quickly slip inside, as he lacked the money to pay for a ticket.

Sonu Sood made his debut with Shaheed-E-Azam in 2002 where he played Bhagat Singh. Co-incidentally two other films on Bhagat Singh were released the same year, with established stars like Ajay Devgn and Bobby Deol playing the freedom fighter respectively. Thus Shaheed-E-Azam sank without a trace but Sonu was noticed and his talent was recognised.

He appeared in films like Yuva, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Jodha Akbar, Shootout at Wadala, R Rajkumar, Dabangg and Simmba. In most of these films, he was a villain except for Aashiq Banaya Aapne. He also got to play the lead role opposite Neha Dhupia in Sheesha.

Apart from Hindi, Sonu Sood is also a big name in South films. He is one of the most expensive actors there, showing off his suave brand of villainy in films like Chandramukhi and Arundhati. On-screen, he has taken on superstars like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Shahid Kapoor, John Abraham, Sanjay Dutt, Ranveer Singh, Jr NTR, Rajinikanth, Dhanush, Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu. Sonu married his wife Sonali in 1996 and she prefers to keep a low profile. The couple have two sons.

According to reports, Sonu Sood’s net worth is Rs 135 to 140 crore. His car collection includes Porsche Panamera and Mercedes Benz ML-Class. He charges Rs 2 crore for a film. He also has his own foundation and production house.