Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has emerged a "messiah" of sorts for those struggling and less privileged during the coronavirus pandemic. It began with Sood helping hapless migrants with buses when they were walking thousands of kilometers on foot during the nationwide lockdown earlier this year.
But it did not end there. Sood, who is very active on social media, now relies on Twitter to reach out and help those who need it. From gifting tractors to farmers to helping those who have lost their jobs during the economic crisis, Sood has been in the news frequently in the last few months.
Recently, Sood said that he would give cycles to girls in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts who have to give up their school after fifth grade because they would otherwise have to travel 8 to 15 kilometers through the forest to study.
A Twitter user named Santosh Chauhan drew Sood's attention to the plight of these girls by describing their situation. Chauhan said that the roads are not safe for the girls, which is why they have to give up going to school altogether.
Sood immediately responded to the tweet and said that every girl in the village will have a bicycle and asked the families of the girls to not worry. On a lighter note, he requested the villagers to keep tea ready for him.
गाँव की हर लड़की के पास साइकल होगा और हर लड़की पढ़ेगी। परिवार वालों से कह देना..साइकल पहुँच रहें हैं बस चाय तैयार रखना। 🚲@NeetiGoel2 @IlaajIndia https://t.co/KVuRLHsF0V
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) October 31, 2020
In July this year, Sood sent an offer letter to a 26-year-old woman who lost her job in Hyderabad and had been selling vegetables to make ends meet. Unadadi Sharada from Hyderabad was working in an MNC when she lost her job during the Covid-19 crisis. Sharada's story soon went viral on social media, and reached Sood. He tweeted saying he had already reached out to her and had sent her an offer letter.