India, in the year 2020 saw the fanbase of a certain film actor expand, especially since the country went under a lockdown abruptly in March. No prizes for guessing the answer, for we all know that it is Sonu Sood. From helping the migrant workers reach their hometowns to helping students fund their online education, we saw the humanitarian side of the actor. So it wasn't much of a surprise, when Sarat Chandra IAS Academy, which is in Vijayawada decided to name its Arts and Humanities Department after him.
However, humbled, Sood tweeted, "I wish my mother was alive to see this." Sarat Chandra, the institution's founder remembers receiving a call from Sood's team a few months ago, asking if he could admit a few students in the college for free. "I was instantly on board. We were already helping out a few poor students," he says. "During that time, I got to interact with his team and that helped me understand the kind of work that he's been doing consistently, which was quite inspiring," he says.
It was around the same time that they had decided to name their departments after various eminent personalities. For instance, the Science department was named after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and the Economics department after Amartya Sen. "That was when the idea of naming the Arts and Humanities Department after Sonu Sood came up. We thought that this would inspire more young people to take up social work. He was young, contemporary and is consistent in giving back to the society," says Chandra.
Even though a lot of celebrities are engaged in charitable work, Chandra says that something sets Sood apart. "Sonu Sood's work isn't random. He has created channels and systems to do good work. He is also quite approachable," he says.
After the news of naming the department went viral, Chandra was in for a surprise - A phone call from Sood. "Honestly, I didn't expect that. I thought that he may tweet or even send a message, but he called me up to thank me. He said that it was quite an honour," says Chandra, adding that Sood has a kind heart and a strong mind to implement his ideas. "It is quite rare these days," he says.
