The Hulk!

Getting up close and personal with the hunky Sonu Sood on his bodybuilding and Bollywood journeys.

- Aishwarya P Vaidya

His chiselled and well-defined abs and his sculpted physique puts him in the club of the fittest men in Bollywood. Sonu Sood, who is popular for his impactful roles in movies like ‘Dabangg’, ‘Happy New Year’ etc, not only carved a niche for himself in Bollywood but has also done a sizeable number of films down South.

In a heartwarming chat with us, Sonu talks about his bodybuilding and Bollywood journeys.

A Fit Kid

“I am basically from Moga, Punjab, and the fitness bug bit me way back in school. I used to go to the akhadas to work out. There were no professional gyms in Punjab then. The akhadas had only one-two dumbbells, and a pair of rods, and all waited for their turns to use them. But those were nice learning days, when everything was rustic and raw.

“I was in the first year of engineering when the gym culture kicked in. And the first time I went to the gym, I said to myself this is what I want to do. When others watched movies and partied, I enjoyed gymming.

“By the time I was in college, I already had six pack abs except that nobody knew about it. So for me, having a good physique is not just for films; it became part of my life since young.”

From Engineering To Modelling

“I did my electronics engineering from Nagpur, and in the third year of engineering, I took part in fashion shows. In the fourth year, I participated in the Graviera Mr India contest in 1996, through which I got a lot of exposure. My friends then insisted that I give acting a shot.

“Finally, I made up my mind to go to Mumbai, and decided to try my luck in movies. My parents supported my decision. They said work hard and pursue your dream.”

Mumbai Calling