Winner of Miss Universe Canada Humanitarian Award, a professional actress and model and a social activist, Mannu Sandhu at 24 has many feathers in her cap at such a young age. Currently working as a Corrections Officer at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre for the past four years, Sandhu actively keeps herself engrossed in global projects that genuinely influence those in need, “I always wanted to lend a helping hand to whoever came across my life, even if it was something small.”
Sandhu was born in Himachal Pradesh, India and immigrated to Canada at the age of 14, but her roots to modelling reach back to her hometown Palampur, where she recalls how her mother encouraged her to take coaching lessons from a model at the age of 11 and perhaps ignited a passion for modelling in Sandhu. It was a perennial journey ever since, which embarked towards these substantial endeavors that Sandhu vehemently carries on today, “When I moved here from India, I had the desire to learn everything. I wanted to be part of every sport event, talent show and volunteer opportunities in the city. ”
For Sandhu, 2011 was a big year. Out of 60 contestants, she made it to the ‘Top 20’ for the Miss Universe Canada pageant and won the Humanitarian Award for collecting the most monetary funds for SOS Children’s Villages. What is commendable though is how Sandhu has kept the cause close to her heart and is working ardently towards it, devoting her time, energy and spirit to distinct charities and NGO’s, engaging piously with other individuals to impart the best service. “People who have known and worked with me for years know they can count on me, and the motivation behind this got me to be a part of the social service network.”
From one journey to another, Sandhu’s transition from a model to an actor was a smooth transition and she indubitably gives all credit to her modelling experience, which in her words “prepared me to face the camera with confidence” and thus bagging a pivotal role in the movie “Footsteps Into Gangland” by Mani Amar and another in a Punjabi movie “Saadi Wakhri Hai Shaan” by Gurbir Grewal.
Sandhu speaks highly about her first movie “Footsteps to Gangland,” where she plays the role of Mya, a 17-year-old who faces mental, sexual and physical abuse from her foster father and later indulges in drugs to escape the torment of her emotions. “The film itself opened many doors for me as an artist; my role was very bold yet I played the role of a helpless girl.”
She believes her character helped in relating to individuals in similar situations and gave her an insight into moot points that exist in various levels of society but are never addressed. “The film is very controversial, content and visuals of the film might not be pleasing for our community but it reflects incidents that take place but are never talked about,” says Sandhu adding “Working as a Corrections Officer, I have seen many young girls and guys come in and out of the centre with similar problems. Young girls and guys use drugs to escape from the reality of life and responsibility.”
Nevertheless her crusading zeal was not only recognized but also rewarded when she won the Miss Universe Canada Wide, a national award, for raising funds to build a computer science centre at a Nicaraguan school, but she reckons her trip to Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh in 2011 with Mankind Charitable Society (MCS) was an eye opener.
“We went there with a team of doctors and surgeons form all over Canada, who were a part of Operation Rainbow Canada for cleft palate and burn surgeries.” She outlines her stint there with patients encompassing infants, teenagers and adults, in assisting the medical team with translations, crowd control and monitoring equipment. She also shares a case of a female patient suffering from third degree burns saying “I had the opportunity to speak to a young woman who suffered from third degree burns all over her body. Surgeons from our team were able to perform surgeries on her neck and chin, which gave her more room to move her neck and she was able to eat properly.”
Last year, Sandhu along with MCS, hosted the “I Said No” awareness seminar to educate youth about substance abuse from anabolic steroids to marijuana and body image. In addition, Sandhu and the speakers discussed strategies and principles on how to say ‘no to drugs,’ the integration of mind, body and soul and how to discover ‘who am I?’ followed by a film showing the effects of long-term drug usage.
“I plan to do this seminar once a year with youth and the goal is to strengthen youth’s inner beliefs that they do not have to say yes to drugs to ‘fit in,’ says Sandhu, and you can hear the passion in her voice. “This seminar was free for youth to attend and I would like to encourage youth and parents to get involved more with our event in 2013.”
Juggling between multifarious projects, Sandhu realizes the challenges but diligently strives to pursue her dreams and also reverberates the significance of supporting family. “You need a source to support your family and yourself first. Don’t look for an outlet but be the outlet that can support you and your family.”
An individual’s intentions are reflected in their manner of conducting oneself. Sandhu’s active participation in social service speaks volumes for how profoundly she feels towards bringing real change to the lives of the disadvantaged and leaving a positive impact on them. “Learning how to be someone’s backbone and supporting them all the way through is the best feeling,” she adds with a smile.
