Sonu Sood: ‘I grew up listening to stories of Chand Bardai and it was like a stroke of luck that I got to play the poet-Sports News , Firstpost

Actor Sonu Sood’s filmography is a proof that he has a keen interest in history. His latest outing, Samrat Prithviraj, didn’t get much love from movie buffs when it released in theatres. But the actor thinks that ‘perhaps’ the historical drama will be viewed by more people once it gets streamed on an OTT platform.

Excerpts from the interview:

You starred in Samrat Prithviraj as Chand Bardai. What all went into playing the historical character?

My mother was an English and History professor. So, I have grown up listening to stories of Chand Bardai and what he was like. Of course, at that point of time I didn’t know I would grow up to play him on-screen. It was a stroke of luck, I suppose. Also, on the sets of the film, our director, Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who is a huge history buff, had a lot of knowledge around the story. Sitting with him and speaking to him about Chand Bardai was a whole history lesson in itself! It became easy for me to play the character, not only because of his vast reservoir of knowledge on history, but also because of the ambience that was created on the set. It certainly takes a lot of time to get into the character but it was very exciting for me. We used to wake up at 3 or 4 am to get into the look, which typically took three to four hours in itself. But it was when you reached the sets and saw people’s reactions and smiles, was when you knew it was all worth the extra hard work.

Over the years, you have acted in period dramas like Shaahed-E-Azam, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Jodhaa Akbar apart from Samrat Prithviraj. What do you like about going back in time and bringing alive historical figures on screen?

I always had an interest in history because my mother was a History professor. So the passion to understand the subject was inculcated in me right from a young age. That’s definitely where my interest for History began. Also, the costumes, details on the set, scale of the set and dialogues, they transport you to whole different place in time. When you’re on the sets of a historical film, you automatically feel a part of that world.

Do you think Samrat Prithviraj will be viewed by more people and appreciated once it gets streamed on an OTT platform?

Yes, perhaps. There has been an ongoing trend of films receiving more appreciation and eyeballs once they have released on OTT, as compared to the theatres. Having said that, it’s a wait-and-watch game. Only time will tell.

Are historical or period dramas still flavour of the season?

I believe whether or not they are still the flavour of the season, there will always be history buffs who will be interested in watching historical and period dramas.

Would you like to play another historical figure on screen? 

Yes, of course. I love the ambience on the set of a historical film. It takes you back in time.

The pandemic gave an opportunity to people to sit back and think about their choices. Did your criteria to pick films changed after the pandemic?

I have always done what felt right to me and what came naturally. I pick films based on how much they allow me to explore myself as an actor and expand my range.

During the pandemic, you were also seen as a real life hero due to your relief efforts. Has anyone approached you for a biopic? 

I think the real sign of a hero is humility. If someone approaches me to do a biopic, I would feel honoured that someone feels I have had that great an impact. Personally, I feel I have miles to go before I sleep.

Apart from films, you are also hosting MTV Roadies Journey to South Africa. Was it difficult to step into the shoes of ex-host Rannvijay Singh?

Everyone brings their own essence to the screen as a host. While Ranvijay has become synonymous with brand Roadies over the years, given his long-standing association, I wouldn’t say it was difficult. I wasn’t trying to step into his shoes. I was only bringing my personality to the show.

You also launched a travel based social media app Explurger. What was the inspiration behind it and how will it help travellers?

I love travel and technology – and Explurger is the perfect amalgamation of both. The app has built-in artificial intelligence that gives users an automatic travelogue, bucket list, future travel plans, ratings of places and rewards. The inspiration behind this app was to reward people for their time spent online and give them something in return instead of just mindless scrolling.

What else are you looking forward to in 2022?It’s an exciting year ahead. I have two films that I’m really looking forward to Tamilarasan, a Tamil film with Vijay Antony, Suresh Gopi and Remya Nambeesan, and Fateh, a Hindi action-thriller, directed by Vaibhav Mishra.