Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit 2022 | The best investment is to invest in someone else's life, says Sonu Sood

Sonu Sood speaks at the event.

Actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood walked the audience through his journey of investing in the act of giving back to society at Moneycontrol's Mutual Fund Summit on December 14 .

He speaks about his simple upbringing in the city of Moga in Punjab and says that his dream of becoming an actor was only the tip of the iceberg. "It all looks small in front of putting a smile on an innocent face," he says, looking back at his goal of starring in commercially successful films.

He recalls his early days of being a successful actor and still not being able to make a contribution to society like he wanted to because he had been typecast in negative roles and brands did not want to associate with him. "When the pandemic happened, there wasn't even a single brand in any category that I haven't signed with. I pushed them to be a part of my journey," he says

Sood was part of multiple brand campaigns that, during the pandemic, set out to help those in need. He distributed numerous smartphones to children, so they can attend online classes, e-rikshaws to villages, and even helped provide lights in villages in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.

He says, "I realised that when you give back to society, when you invest in someone else's life, that's the real investment and that's the best return you get."

Speaking about his personal investments, he says that he grew up learning that property or land is a safe investment to bet on and that he's in the process of learning about other newer things. "Mutual funds are something that I don't understand, so I have to rely on others. But I take risks when I invest in property," he adds.

Sood also elaborated on his attitude towards wealth. "I feel no matter how much you earn there will always be a gap. It's a never-ending journey, but then you realise it's not about buying houses or cars, but about being content with what you have."

Looking ahead, he says that the zeal to give back to society is often short-lived because people are busy with their lives. "I believe that in 24 hours, some time needs to be set aside to do something good for society," he observed.

According to Sood, the two things that matter are Umeed (hope) and Koshish (to try) in order to help make a change.