I'm game for anything related to fitness: Sonu Sood

The Bollywood actor who was in town recently, tells us about his love for Dubai, the bond he shares with his Manikarnika co-star Kangana Ranaut, and the importance of fitness in his life

Stay fit and inspire others is a rule Sonu Sood strictly abides by. Anything to do with fitness piques the Indian actor's interest. The star, known for his well-chiselled body, has flashed his washboard abs in movies like Dabangg and Happy New Year. No wonder he is among the fittest men in Bollywood. And it's this deep interest in fitness that brought the actor to the UAE last week for the opening of  Thumbay Group's Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital, at Thumbay Medicity, Al Jurf, Ajman.
In a freewheeling chat, the actor of blockbusters such as Kung Fu Yoga, Dabangg, Entertainment and Happy New Year, tells City Times about fitness, Dubai, his Bollywood beginnings and why 2018 is the busiest year in his career. Excerpts from the interview.

What brings you to Dubai this time?
Basically, I'm a fitness fanatic and work a lot towards promoting exercise and healthy lifestyles. I'm the brand ambassador for the Fit India campaign. When the Thumbay Group shared with me news about their rehabilitation and therapy centre, I got interested. They invited me for the opening (of the centre). It's good to connect with people and see what technologies are being offered these days to make people fit and recover faster. So I'm game for anything related to fitness. I want to learn more about fitness, that's why I'm here.

What movies are  you working on right now?
I must admit that this is the busiest year in my life. I am doing a film titled Paltan in which I play an army officer. The movie is set in 1967 and is based on the Indo-China conflict. It is being directed by JP Dutta, who made the award-winning film Border which was also a war-based movie. That's releasing on September 7. Then I'm doing a period drama with Kangana Ranaut called Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The story is based on the iconic queen of Jhansi and the movie will be out in October. Right now, I'm shooting in Hyderabad for Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar's (producers) Simmba with Ranveer Singh and this movie is releasing in December. I'm also working in two South Indian films. One in Telugu and the other in Kannada. Both films are releasing soon. So, you see it's a busy time for me as every month I have a movie releasing.

Do you enjoy working in the South?
You know, I started my career in the South Indian film industry. I have done nearly 100 films, taking into account all the languages put together. I must say that everything I learnt about cinema was in the South since I've worked in so many movies there.

From going to college to do engineering to becoming a movie star, how did this transition happen?
I am from a small town in Punjab called Moga. I did my schooling over there. My mum was a professor and dad was into business. They used to always stress on the importance of education, so engineering was on top of my list. I always wanted to be an engineer. So I went to Nagpur for my engineering degree. However, during my second and third year of college, I was involved in some amateur modelling. That's when the acting bug bit me. So I thought, why not give it a shot. That's how I landed in Mumbai in 2000. Frankly, I had come to Mumbai just to try my luck. But God has been kind to me and I believe that my parents' blessings helped me survive all these years. Honestly, it's really tough out there, especially if you happen to be an outsider.

So how did your journey in acting start?
I was just like any other outsider - walking around the city every day with a bag on my shoulder, stuffed with my portfolio and photographs, knocking on doors and trying to convince people that I had something good to offer (for their movies). But things didn't happen for me overnight, it took years of convincing people before I finally got a chance to face the camera. You know, there are many boys who come to Mumbai everyday looking to work in the film industry. Not everyone is lucky. But for me, I guess the good wishes of parents helped me achieve my goals. So that's how I got into the industry.

You are working with Kangana Ranaut in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. How was it working with the actress?
Kangana is a very close friend of mine. I have known her ever since the day she started her career as an actor. We have done a movie together in the South. Both of us are creatively inclined and we always share our lines as well as explore new angles for scenes. I must say that we share a great bonding.

India has just got into the digital streaming space with Saif Ali Khan's Sacred Games out on Netflix. Do you think actors in India should look at online media as the future?
Digital media has gone really big and everyone wants to get into that space. I think that's the future. The budgets and the quality of material (movies/series) is really good. It's a huge platform for actors in India who have never tried anything like that before. It's good to know that actors are now exploring that zone. More platforms means more work for actors.

What about you? If given a chance to work in a web series what role would you look for?  
I am a huge fan of the popular Netflix series Narcos. I have seen each and every season of this series and I would ideally like to do something like that. Some kind of action-thriller sounds exciting and I would surely be up for that.
You like coming to Dubai often?
You know, Dubai is like a second home for me. I have started some of the best things in my life in this city, like shooting for Ali F. Mostafa's City of Life. It was a special film for me. I lived in Dubai for nearly a month when I was shooting for Farah Khan's Happy New Year. Then, after that, I spent nearly a month and a half in Dubai shooting with Jackie Chan for Kung Fu Yoga. So I can say that some of my blockbuster movies were shot in this city. It is like my work place for me. I have a lot of friends here and I love the shopping options here. Moreover, Dubai is just a few hours away from India and I always feel that I'm in my own space here. I believe that Dubai is one of the most special places for me.

Which are your favourite spots in the city?
My favourite places for shopping are The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. I remember when I was staying at the Kempinski Hotel when shooting for City of Life, since the hotel is adjacent to the mall, I used to go to there every day. People find the place confusing, but I can remember each and every store in the mall. In fact, I can draw a map of the mall if you want me to! Dubai is a very positive place, people are very warm and they treat you like family. That's what brings me back again and again to the city.

And your favourite cuisine in town?
You know I've been a vegetarian since birth - I've never ever tasted meat. But that does not restrict me from exploring other cuisines. I am very fond of the Lebanese cuisine in Dubai. I think they have some amazing salads. I also like to try out healthy pizzas, quinoa rolls in some of the restaurants in town. City Walk has some very nice places to eat and the ambience is great. I spend a lot of time there. Talk about shopping, talk about food, Dubai is the place that has it all.
Tell us a bit about your fitness mantra?
Fitness is a habit for me. It's become an essential part of my life. Just like how I brush my teeth every morning, I have to hit the gym every day. I often tell my friends that I have only 22 hours in a day, the other two hours I devote to fitness. No matter how busy I am, no matter if I am travelling, I ensure that I make time for exercise wherever I can - in my hotel room, home or the gym.  Whenever I get the time, I do push-ups, crunches or running. I want to tell people who can't make time for fitness that there's no excuse to not start loving and respecting your body. That's the only way to stay fit.

michael@khaleejtimes.com