Coronavirus: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood hailed for helping stranded Indian migrants, amid COVID-19 lockdown

India: Many likened the actor to the late Indian minister Sushma Swaraj

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood continues to win hearts on Twitter, for helping thousands of Indian migrant workers stranded in Mumbai, to return to their villages. The Bollywood actor has been arranging for buses and special permissions, amid the lockdown.

Since May 11, he has arranged hundreds of buses to take tens of thousands of stranded migrants home.

Reportedly, it can cost anywhere between Rs65,000 to Rs200,000 per bus, to send the migrants back. But, Sood has been using his own funds and helping people daily, with the help of his childhood friend Niti Goel.

Reportedly, after talking to a few stranded labourers, Sood’s first step was to connect with government officials. He first sent 350 migrants to Karnataka. After the successful completion of the first trip, he got in touch with government offices in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Several people have been writing to the actor on Twitter either requesting him for help or thanking him for his kind gestures.

Sood has earned tremendous praise for helping migrant workers, when the government and the country’s leaders did not. Many are calling him the “next Sushma Swaraj”. Swaraj was India’s former Minister of External Affairs, known for helping stranded Indians who tweeted to her. She passed away last year.

Tweep @cricketharshit weeted: “Whatever Sonu Sood is doing right now, reminds me of how Sushma Swaraj used to help stranded people via Twitter.”

And, tweep @Mr_LoLw added: “Sonu Sood is the new Sushma Swaraj, no matter where you are stuck, he will get you back … home.”

Sood, who often plays a villain on screen, is being praised as a “hero” in real life.

Other celebrities and industry colleagues, like Farah Khan, also took to Twitter to praise him. Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and tennis player Sania Mirza also wrote tweets praising the star.

@SDhawan25 tweeted: “A big salute to you @SonuSood for your heroic efforts in making sure stranded migrant workers get to reach their homes.”

According to an article on outlookindia.com, Sonu Sood said: “When they (the migrant workers) reach home, they always call me and make me speak to their families. They send a lot of messages, voice notes. That makes me feel happy.”