Over the past few weeks, Sonu Sood has been a saviour for migrant workers, who are stuck in Mumbai amidst the lockdown. The actor, with the help of his friends Neeti Goel, Pankaj Jalisatgi, and Harsh Sikariya, has been arranging buses to help them return home. So far, the actor has helped several migrant workers to reach their hometowns safely and the actor says he will continue to do so until the last one reaches his destination. Now, the actor talked about how over 70,000 people are still on the waiting list and many more to go.
“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the day our buses filled with people went to Karnataka. I’ve been missing out on calls and messages, which is why I started the toll-free number. That’s also flooded with calls. There are over 70,000 people on the waiting list, and many more contacting us,” said Sood, who recently arranged a chartered flight for 177 migrants stuck in Kerala and sent them back to Odisha.
“Buses would take longer and also we’d need to take permissions from every state it crosses, which takes time. Thanks to everyone, who has been extending supporting. Itne saalo se dost hi to kamaye hai maine, wahi abhi mera saath de rahe hain,” he added.
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Recently, Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, congratulated the actor, and “assured him with help whenever required”. Sood’s industry colleagues, filmmaker Farah Khan, actors Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Neha Dhupia, Dia Mirza, Suniel Shetty, among others, have also been praising him.
When asked if anyone has extended financial help, he said, “Initially, I was doing things on my own, but now many people from within the industry and outside have come forward to help. Some are keen on sponsoring a bus or book tickets for migrants. Like Farah provided drinking water. It has become like a movement now,” he concluded.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
