Plumber airlifted by Sonu Sood gets wishes from across India

Bhubaneswar: Prashant Kumar Pradhan, 32-year-old plumber from Kendrapada who named his welding workshop after Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, has been flooded with congratulatory calls from all across the country.
Prashant’s story was first published in TOI, and a photo of his shop was later shared by the actor on his twitter account. There has been no looking back after this.Prashant was recently featured in a popular TV show of the country. He thanked Sonu Sood for airlifting him from Kochi to Bhubaneswar and giving him a fresh lease of life.
Prashant shared his story on the show where Sonu Sood was called as the celebrity guest. The show host had brought Prashant online for his extraordinary story.
“After my story was published in TOI on July 19, Sonu Sood spoke to me. He had asked about my business and the problems I faced in the workshop. I invited him to my shop. We again spoke on the show. I am so happy that he remembers me,” Prashant, a native of Chinchiri village, said.
Pradhan, who knows plumbing and welding, opened the workshop at Hatina on July 10 after he secured a job in his village. In a bid to express his gratitude towards the actor, he named his shop — Sonu Sood Welding Workshop. He makes grille gates and wields vehicle parts and railings, among other household stuff. He earn at least Rs 400 on a daily basis.
Prashant said people called him to know about his shop. “I have been receiving hundreds of calls since July 19. I was surprised that people from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab called me up and wondered how they got to know. Later, I found out that my workshop photo was posted in the newspaper and the actor himself has tweeted my phone number. They wish me luck and offered help. I am extremely grateful,” he added.
“A film director from Mumbai also phoned me. However, I forgot to ask his name,” Prashant said, adding that he narrated the whole story to the person. “The director praised me for opening the shop instead of sitting idle at home. People in my area also came forward to meet me. My business is running as usual,” Prashant, the father of a three-and-half-year-old daughter, said.
Prashant was working as a plumber in a company near the Cochin airport in Kerala. He had been stranded there after he lost the job. A few days later on May 29, Prashant, along with 168 other migrant workers, was airlifted by Sonu Sood on May 29. Though he tried to get a ticket on a Shramik Special train, but failed. District officials and local leaders also couldn’t do much either.
Prashant opened the shop to support his family of 10 members. “I want to register my workshop and make it a good one,” he added.