Sonu Sood: 'Paltan' gives me a chance to be a soldier

There’s a time in most men’s lives when they aspire to join the armed forces. Punjab da puttar, Sonu Sood, is no different. The actor, who couldn’t fulfill his childhood dream, now dons army fatigues for the first time in JP Dutta’s Paltan. The film presented by Zee Studios brings alive on screen the story of the 1967 Indo-China clashes at Nathu La and Cho La along the Sikkim border when our soldiers gave their Chinese counterparts ‘a bloody nose’. Sonu talks to us about his fascination for historicals and the PV Sindhu biopic that he’s producing. Excerpts…

What does playing a soldier mean to you? After all, you hail from Punjab, where a lot of men enlist in the army...

A considerable number of people from the North enlist in the military as a lot of invasions and attacks have taken place in that region. Moreover, due to their height, built and fitness levels, they are an apt fit. My father, too, wished to see me in an army uniform and was happy when I told him that I had signed JP Dutta’s Paltan. While he’s no longer around to see the film, (he passed away in 2016), his blessings are always with me.

Did you ever wish to join the armed forces, too?

Yes, I wanted to as a kid. I grew up in Punjab when terrorism was at its peak. Many officers used to visit my hometown, Moga, so it was inspiring to see them in uniform. Over the years, as I grew up, I was drawn towards engineering and later found my calling in acting. After all these years, Paltan gives me an opportunity to don army fatigues.

What was the first thought that came to your mind when you heard the script?

I realised we don’t know some of the most significant chapters of our history and felt I had be a part of this film. My mother was a professor of English and History. So, she had a lot of History books at our place. Whenever I’ve done a historical like Shaheed-e-Azam or Jodhaa Akbar (2008), I’ve sourced some interesting reading material from her library. I also found a couple of books that dealt with 1967 Indo-China conflicts.

Go on...

I also decided to do the film because of JP Dutta. He has an amazing command over war movies; Border (1997) and LOC Kargil (2003) prove this fact. In Paltan, I play a braveheart, Major Bishwant Singh, who was feared by the Chinese. They called him Tiger Nathu La. I feel blessed to have got an opportunity to play a real-life hero and bring to screen an untold story of our history. Though I haven’t met Major Bishwant Singh, I hope he feels I’ve done justice to his character on screen and made him proud.

In the recent years, there is a lot of talk about the flawed narrative of history with many chapters misrepresented. Do you think Paltan will be a part of that course correction?

I feel that when barely known instances of history are brought out before the people, things will change and our citizens will feel proud about what we have gone through, where we have reached today and where we aspire to be tomorrow.

Paltan comes 50 years after India gave China a bloody nose at Nathu La and Cho La along the Sikkim border. Do you feel this film should have been made earlier?

I do wish this story had been told on screen earlier. But then, as they say, better late than never.

How difficult was it to shoot in Ladakh?

Ladakh is a tough terrain with temperatures dropping to minus 30 and low oxygen levels making things even more difficult. But I remember, when I reached there after wrapping the shoot of my South film Kurukshetra, I was told not to go for a run even though the atmosphere seemed tempting. When I donned the uniform for the shoot and had to run for a scene, I didn’t feel out of breath or exhausted at all. My co-actors were surprised as they had come four days before to acclimatise themselves. They asked me how I managed, but I still don’t know. Maybe it was the uniform or the character that inspired me.

Tell us about your experience of working with JP Dutta.

He is clear about his vision. He had multiple camera set-ups for the shoot and having made war films like Border and LOC Kargil, he knows his craft well. Life is easy for actors with a filmmaker like him at the helm.

While filming this movie, real guns and bullets were used. It must have been a scary thought while shooting?

Not really. A lot of precautions were taken to ensure that no one got hurt. We, actors, received prior training and were focussed during the firing sequences. With JP sir and army personnel around, we knew nothing would go wrong.

You were missing in action for some time but it seems now, you are back in the groove with Paltan and Simmba...

I’ve always believed that it’s the film that chooses the actor and not the other way round. For about a year, I didn’t have any work and then suddenly I had back-to-back movies. Patience and perseverance always pays. I trusted my instincts and didn’t take up every offer that came my way.

What’s the update on the PV Sindhu biopic, which you are backing?

We’ve just completed the 24th draft of the script. Since the time I announced it, a lot of new developments have happened in her career. Hopefully, we’ll start work on it soon.