While we struggle throughout our lives to make our parents proud, it is only after they are gone that we realize that no achievement was worth the time we could have spent with them. From time to time, many have come forward to share their regrets of not spending enough time with their parents before losing them for life. One such person is actor Sonu Sood.
On multiple occasions, Sonu Sood has come forward to share his grief of losing his parents. And, during one such occasion, he shared with TOI the details of how he felt his achievements meant nothing without his mom.
During a 2017 interview, Sonu Sood recalled the last meeting with his mother and how he struggled to accept the news about his mother’s demise:
“I lost my mom five years back. She dreamt of her son coming in a car to pick her up from the airport. I had done three South films before she died. I had bought a secondhand Zen. I did not have a driver, but just for her, I hired one to pick her up from the airport. She hugged me at the airport and was so happy that I had made it on my own.”

He further added how just a phone call changed his life forever:
“She came to the sets of Jodhaa Akbar at ND Studios Karjat on October 1 and she told me that it would change my life. She left on Oct 4. My younger sister was to get married on Oct 16, for which I was to go home on Oct 14, but on Oct 13, I got a call informing me that my mom had died in her sleep.
I was shivering and did not know how to book my tickets. I wanted to quit the industry, but my dad reminded me of my mom’s dream for me. So, I went onto to shoot Singh Is Kinng in Australia. Everyday, I’d just sit and cry in a corner and then go and do comedy.”
What he added next makes you realize that no achievement is worth it without them:
“After her, whatever I achieve is pointless as I just wanted to see her being proud of me and saying, “Mera beta”. The feeling of achievement or happiness is not the same anymore. I now sometimes take two-three days to even tell my family that I have signed a new film.”
Further talking about how his mother left her most important memory in the form of hand-written letters, he added:
“I used to write letters to my mom when I was struggling, saying, “I am sorry I did not come back after engineering”. I would tell her,”Mama, we talk on the phone, so, why should I write to you?” and she would say, “We don’t have a record of our calls, but when I won’t be there, these letters will be with you.”
I have all the letters she wrote to me right from my engineering days. It’s really tough for me to even read those letters.”
A couple of years back, he shared an emotional letter on his mother’s 10th death anniversary. In this letter, he mentioned about his biggest regret in the life of being not around for his mom:
“I became an actor, someone who wanted to make his parents proud and I did that to an extent mom, I am still giving my hundred per cent and I promise I won’t give up, after all I’m the only son of professor Saroj Sood, someone who taught the whole world how to live their dreams.
My only regret in my life, that I will take to my grave will be that I was not around you on your last day.”
Sonu shared how the vacuum left in his life after his mom’s demise cannot be filled easily. But, Sonu has found an inspiring way to feel connected with his parents and make them proud.
It was quite inspiring how Sonu came forward to run one of the biggest rescue mission of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. While sharing with The Indian Express, the actor shared how it was the values imbibed by his mother and father that pushed him to help migrant workers during Coronavirus:
“I decided I am not going to sit at home and crib about it. My mom used to teach kids free of cost, my dad used to organize langars outside his shop. I was raised with those values in Punjab. My mother used to says that ‘if you can’t help anyone then don’t consider yourself successful’. My background, the values my parents imbibed in me are the reason I am doing this.”
Losing your parents is never easy! It is a nightmare that we wish no one has to live through but eventually, many of us do. It takes a lot of courage to hold the parents’ memories when you know you can’t hold their hands anymore. Sonu Sood’s inspiring words are just the reminder that parents are our real assets, neither the bank balance nor the huge mansions.
So, please spend time with your parents until you can! And, don’t forget to tell them how much you love them.