Bollywood actor Sonu Sood’s viral bike ride: What sparked the outrage?

Dubai: Bollywood actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has come under fire after a video of him riding a motorcycle without a helmet or safety gear in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley went viral on social media.

The clip, originally posted by the Instagram page Ride With Victor, shows Sood shirtless and wearing sunglasses as he leads a group of bikers through the snow-covered terrain.

The video prompted swift backlash online. Many users accused Sood of hypocrisy and questioned whether celebrities are above the law.

One X user wrote: “So will @himachalpolice take any action on @SonuSood for riding naked without a helmet in Spiti? No protective gear, no clothes – God knows what he’s trying to promote. Are celebrities above the law?”

Another commented: “He is trying to revive his flop career. This is the trailer before he opens his OF account?”

More reactions followed with harsh words: “This worthless fellow is starving for attention! What an obscene and desperate way to grab eyeballs!”“What a foolish thing to do. Attention-seeking behaviour.”

In response to the backlash, Sood reposted the video on his Instagram Stories with a brief clarification: “Safety first, we always abide by the laws. An old clip without the helmet was part of the script, so kindly ignore. Ride safe, ride smart and always wear a helmet.”

Other clips from the same ride reportedly show him wearing proper safety gear and a helmet. However, no formal statement has been issued by the actor beyond his Instagram story.

The Lahaul-Spiti police acknowledged the viral video and announced an investigation. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), they said:

“A video is going viral on social media in which a Bollywood actor is seen violating traffic rules in Lahaul-Spiti district. According to preliminary information, the video appears to be from the year 2023. The matter has been handed over to DySP Headquarters, Kyelang. Necessary action will be taken as per the law.”

They also appealed to the public and tourists to follow traffic rules and behave responsibly.

The backlash intensified as netizens pointed out Sood’s past involvement in road safety campaigns. Just days before the video went viral, Sood had participated in a campaign urging people to wear helmets and obey traffic laws.

In March 2025, Sood had also shared a powerful message after his wife, sister, and nephew survived a serious car accident in the Wardha area of Nagpur. In a video message, he said: “There is a very important message. Last week, there was a very big accident in Nagpur in which my wife, her nephew, and her sister were inside the car. The whole world has seen the condition of the car. You know that if anything saved them, it was the seat belt. It was just a minute after they wore the seat belt that the devastating accident took place.”

He added that it was his wife Sonali who insisted that his sister Sunita and nephew Siddharth wear seatbelts. Sonali and Sunita were admitted to Max Hospital and later discharged.

On the professional front, Sood was last seen in Fateh, his directorial debut. The film also stars Jacqueline Fernandez, Naseeruddin Shah, and Vijay Raaz.