For as long as he can remember, Sonu Sood has curtailed the hours in his day to 22. The remaining two, he says, have always been devoted to fitness—no negotiation. This implies that whether a shooting stint commences early in the morning, or runs past midnight, or his film commitments have him travel across the world, Sood’s day doesn’t conclude unless he has hit the gym. It isn’t an ordeal that he puts himself through, but rather a part of his day that he looks forward to. “People like to party, or try a new restaurant. I like to exercise. When I’m away on a vacation, if the hotel gym opens late, I get restless and wonder how I will pass my time. I’m usually alone at the gym, and that’s good, because it helps me focus on my routine,” he says, matter-of-factly. 

While filming the upcoming Friday release Fateh, which had him take on duties as actor, director, and producer, he recalls waking up at 3.30 am to hit the gym for about two hours before shooting commenced at 5.30. Often, he’d conduct meetings with the team while running on the treadmill, because “taking on so many duties for this film left me with limited time”. Fateh, easily among Sood’s most ambitious projects, will be “one of the most special action films” India has seen, he promises. It’s easy to see that the actor is putting his might behind his directorial debut that plays to his strengths. If he has roped in music mavericks like Hans Zimmer and Loire Cotler for the soundtrack, his action team isn’t behind, with Lee Whittaker, the man behind films like Fast and Furious, and Jurassic Park 3, taking charge of the action sequences in this offering.