Sonu Sood (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian actor, film producer, model and philanthropist who works predominantly in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema. He is best known for portraying antagonists, and has received recognition across multiple film industries for his work in negative roles. Beyond films, Sood gained wider public attention for his humanitarian initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Born | 30 July 1973 |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actor, film producer, model, humanitarian |
| Years active | Predominantly Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films |
| Production house | Shakti Sagar Productions (established July 2016) |
| Notable recognition | Nandi Award, Filmfare Award (Telugu), IIFA Award, Apsara Award, SIIMA Award, UNDP SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award |
Sood's father was Shakti Sagar Sood, after whom he later named his production company. He has worked across linguistic film industries in India, building a career that spans Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema.
Sood has built a reputation primarily for playing the negative lead. His Telugu work includes Athadu (2005), Arundhati (2009), Kandireega (2011), Dookudu (2011) and Julayi (2012). His Hindi credits include Yuva (2004), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Dabangg (2010), Shootout at Wadala (2013), R... Rajkumar (2013), Happy New Year (2014), Simmba (2018) and Kurukshetra (2019). He played the antagonist in the Tamil film Ashok (2006) and appeared in the Tamil film Devi (2016). He has also worked in international productions, including the Chinese-led project Kung Fu Yoga (2017).
In July 2016, Sood established the production house Shakti Sagar Productions, named after his father. He has also appeared in advertising campaigns for brands such as Apollo Tyres and Airtel. In June 2022, he launched a social media application called Explurger.
In September 2020, Sood was chosen for the SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in recognition of his humanitarian work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sood is among the few contemporary Indian actors to have established a sustained career across Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema while specialising in antagonist roles. His recognition by the UNDP placed him in a small group of Indian film personalities formally honoured by a United Nations agency for pandemic-era humanitarian work.