Sonu Sood hits back at 'marketing' jibe over Nepal flood relief work

Actor Sonu Sood has responded to criticism over his visit to flood-hit Nepal, after a journalist questioned whether the actor’s relief work was his ‘marketing’ exercise. Sonu, who travelled to Nepal to support the flood relief efforts, responded by inviting the person to join him on the ground and help those affected by the disaster.

The exchange began after the journalist criticised the attention around the actor’s visit. Sharing his views on social media, he wrote on X, "If this isn’t Sonu Sood’s marketing, if not, then what is it? Just arrived in Nepal and has become the “guardian” of the children there. Haven’t even started the work, and the marketing to turn him into a god has already kicked off (sic)."

The 53-year-old responded without escalating the criticism. Addressing the media person as ‘brother’, he wrote, "You are a good person, brother! Come to Nepal, both brothers will work together (sic)."

Read his post here:

The Fateh actor has since been sharing glimpses of his work from the flood-affected areas. On Thursday, he posted a video on X showing himself walking through and inspecting areas hit by the floods. He pointed out the extent of the damage and said the impact had reached even four-storey buildings.

In another post, Sonu shared pictures from the Trishuli River and spoke about the devastation left behind by the floods.

"Standing here today at the Trishuli River, where the floods have left behind unimaginable loss..broken homes, broken families, and lives changed forever. Nepal is not alone. I stand with its people, and I will do everything I can to bring hope, rebuild homes, and help families begin again (sic)," he wrote.

See the post:

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Sood explained that his focus was on reaching people who had been affected and understanding what they needed. He said relief material had been brought from India, including blankets and food supplies.

‘We are here to meet the victims of the flood. We got lots of stuff from India. We just want to be with the people who are in need and will try to bring their lives back (on track), I think it’s everyone’s duty to do their part," he said.

Sonu also said the relief effort would need to continue beyond the immediate aftermath of the floods. He acknowledged the challenges involved in transporting supplies from India to Nepal but said his team would continue sending aid in the coming months.

Sonu Sood’s visit came as Nepal continues to grapple with the devastating aftermath of the floods. The devastating flash floods struck the country on August 26, beginning in Rasuwa district before surging through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors and affecting several downstream districts.

The latest update from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority on Thursday put the death toll at 1,259, while around 4,216 people were still missing or out of contact.

The scale of the rescue effort remains immense. So far, 11,993 people have been rescued and 5,135 injured people have received medical care. Of these, 301 were treated in hospitals, while the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force provided medical assistance to 3,206 and 1,628 people respectively.