Getting offers for hero roles now, says Sonu Sood
Mumbai, Dec 19: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has said filmmakers have started to approach him with lead roles in their films due to his philanthropic work for migrant workers during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Earlier this year, Sood, known for films like "Dabangg", "Jodhaa Akbar", and "Simmba", catapulted to the national spotlight for his work in helping migrants reach their homes during the lockdown.
During a virtual session of "We The Women" on Friday, Sood opened up about how 2020 has changed his personal and professional life, especially his image of an actor, who has previously played villain in films such as "Simmba", "R Rajkumar" and "Arundhati".
"I am getting all hero roles now. I have got four-five brilliant scripts. Let's hope... It's new beginnings, new innings, it is a new pitch and it will be nice fun," the actor said.
He recalled that during the shooting of his upcoming Telugu movie "Acharya", South superstar Chiranjeevi expressed reservations about hitting him for a scene, given his new found image of a hero.
"We were doing an action sequence and Chiranjeevi sir said, You being in the film is a big problem for us because I can't hit you in the action scene'. He said if he does that people will curse him.
"There was another sequence where he was placing his feet on me but that too was reshot," Sood said.
The 47-year-old actor also revealed that the makers of another Telugu film have changed the script according to his new image, meaning that he will have to shoot his portions again.
During the lockdown, Sood had launched an initiative to help reunite migrant workers who were stranded in Mumbai with their families in distant corners of the country.
He and his team rolled out a toll-free number and a WhatsApp helpline to connect with the workers and then arrange transportation - buses, trains and even chartered flights as well as food for the stranded migrants.
Sood believes that there was some force working behind him and guiding him during the lockdown period.
"Blessings of my parents worked and I was able to connect with thousands of people. There was some kind of inner voice that made me do what I did. I didn't know how I would do it but once we started, everything just happened, he said.
Joining the actor in the session, titled "The Men We Love", was Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna, who has also been working round-the-clock to help the needy since the pandemic hit India.
Khanna, sitting thousands of miles away in New York, launched a food distribution drive Feed India' that steadily reached millions across the country.
"Catering companies were shutting down and so were restaurants, even I was supposed to open two restaurants this year.
"It was all affecting me. I wanted to do something we started in a small way. We put everything on the backburner and focused on this," Khanna said.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
