Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has always felt that action is his forte, in fact, over two decades back when he was part of films like Shootout at Wadala and Maximum, he had said that it is time for action films and he wanted to become the next action hero of Bollywood. He went ahead to do quite a few films in that genre. And now with his new release Fateh, an action-packed drama, Sood takes his craft to a new level—not just as the lead actor but also as the director and producer. Based on cybercrime, Fateh is about an ex-special operations officer who comes out of retirement to fight a cyber mafia after a young woman is scammed online. As he unravels a global network of evil, the stakes grow higher, leading to explosive confrontations, and a whole lot of action sequences. Co-starring Jacqueline Fernandez, Vijay Raaz, and Naseeruddin Shah, the film has been described as a John Wick-style assassin drama.
Sood, who has donned many hats (a model, actor, a philanthropist and now producer-director) describes his character in Fateh as a culmination of his two-decade-long career in the industry. “In fact, what I have learnt while doing Fateh, I have not learnt that in the entire journey of 20 to 22 years as an actor. Fateh is very, very close to my heart because it’s my answer to everything I’ve missed in my past films. Certain kinds of action, shot-taking, mannerisms and editing patterns—everything I envisioned when I was in front of the camera, I’ve brought to life here. When people watch it, they’ll say, ‘This is how action films should be made,’’ he gushes. Has the actor never been envisioned in this avatar before, and he says, “No, nothing like that, I got a lot of opportunities despite having no godfather in the industry. I have learnt from every single individual who gave me work and that is how I have reached here but as they say you have to write your destiny with your own hands.”
The idea for Fateh germinated about three-and-a-half to four years back during the Covid-19 pandemic when Sood became the messiah and hero of the masses helping people in need across the country. “When I was meeting people during Covid I also realised that a lot of cyber frauds were happening and from there the story of Fateh began. It is a very relatable story about a common man who goes through cybercrime. I was helping out people in many cases, we had to do many FIRs across the country. At that time I felt it is important to tell a story that connects with people. When scripting started, I had not thought that we would shoot in the United States or Dubai. I never thought we would have top Hollywood technicians on board like Lee Whittaker who has worked on Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, Captain Marvel... people kept joining me in this journey,” says Sood.
Action sequences are the heart of Fateh and the action star spared no effort in making them memorable. “I wanted action in Fateh to feel like poetry. It’s gory, but with style,” he says. Every stunt of his in Fateh was performed by the actor himself. “I’ve never used a body double. I conceptualise, plan, and execute every action sequence myself. The adrenaline rush keeps me going, even during 18–19-hour shoots," he adds.
The most challenging scene in Fateh, he says, is a three-and-a-half-minute single-shot action sequence with no cuts. "It took two and a half months of prep and involved a team that had worked on Captain Marvel, Fast & Furious, and Jurassic Park. Fighters from Mexico and an elite technical crew were brought in to execute the vision,” he says. “I have often heard from my family and friends that why can’t our action movies look like foreign films, why don’t we have that kind of action and after watching Fateh I hope I have answered that question – that humongous scale of action films can be made here, too,” Sood further adds.