Sonu Sood: A Real-Life Hero
The Coronavirus Pandemic that started in March has impacted our lives severely. As a result, the world faced many challenges. A fight against them called for help and unity from the community worldwide. One such hero from India was the Bollywood Actor Sonu Sood. The 47-year old celebrity helped thousands during the pandemic. Consequently, he received praise on social media.
UNDP Honours Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood helped thousands of migrants to reach their hometown and villages during the lockdown and even after it. He received the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) prestigious SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award for the same through a virtual ceremony. He also arranged food, buses, trains, and even chartered flights for the migrants. Additionally, to promote better livelihood he provided job opportunities.
The Bollywood Actor offered his hotel in Mumbai to medical professionals. Consequently, this would ensure a place for these frontline workers. Along with this, he provided safe shelters to numerous people before cyclone Nisarga hit the Maharashtra coast, this July.
Among his many works during the pandemic, was a toll-free helpline number to help those in need. Some members of the film industry asked for financial help on social media.
UNDP released a statement on this award to him which read: “The ‘Special Humanitarian Action Award’ given to Sonu Sood was conferred on him by the Department of Planning of the Government of Punjab, with the support of the Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre. The awardees were selected based on the recommendation of an independent jury. UNDP was not involved in the selection nor in the conferring of the award to Mr Sonu Sood. We congratulate Sood on receiving this award and appreciate his humanitarian efforts to help people in these challenging times.”
UN Awards To Other Celebrities
Sonu Sood is not the first celebrity to receive this honour from the UN. Many celebrities have received a Humanitarian Award from different UN bodies. The list includes Priyanka Chopra, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Beckham, Emma Watson, etc.
The Actor’s On-Screen Performances
The famous actor turned social worker featured in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil films. He made his debut in a Tamil film and entered Bollywood in 2002. Moreover, his best performances are in Dabangg, Simmba, Happy New Year among several others.
