Prashantt Guptha’s open letter to Sonu Sood on his birthday

The actor wrote a special note to Sonu Sood for his birthday

Happy Birthday, Sonu Sood — My first hero, my latest idol

(Left) Prashantt Guptha wrote a heartfelt message for Sonu Sood on his birthday

How many people know I did my first movie with you? Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi. Offscreen you were Sonu, onscreen, Prem bhayiaa. The first time we met was at the Kranti maidaan in Filmcity and whilst I was in the middle of the marriage shot (well, Rajshri film), you had just arrived on the set and were standing about thirty feet back when I turned to see you. Until then, I had only heard of your gruesome struggle stories from our dear common friends Param Gill and Suguna Sundaram. On that day, however, I saw a 6’4 stud with a Greek-God physique and glimpse of a young Bachchan. I would have said you’d already arrived, but you went from Rajshri hero, to menacing villain across the South and soon co-star of the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Rajnikant, Akshay Kumar, SRK, Salman Khan and Jackie Chan. Gradually, you built an acting repertoire and a business empire very few know of.

But when I refer to you as my latest idol, it’s not just because of all the above and the fact that you maintain a perfectly humble and grounded family life (which is the greatest wealth of all), it’s because you became an overnight moghul of humanitarian deeds in the wake of our greatest global crisis. You’re not just a rich guy who's signing charitable cheques, you walked the whole nine yards and sent people home, fed them, met with leaders and personally sent money to restore lives. Tirelessly, persistently and humbly. You opened the channel of your heart faster and bigger than anything I have seen in recent times, and if this is what you choose to do with your money, may the Goddess Mother of Fortune tilt her pot perpetually in your favour.

What more can I say, but the fact that today more up n’ comers aspire to be Sonu Sood than perhaps any other superstar. Long Live, Happy Birthday!

— Prashantt Guptha+