'God Made Me This Way': LGBTQ Influencer Mad Sandhu, Murdered In Amritsar, Had This To Say To 'Culture' Trolls

Madhusudan 'Mad' Sandhu would often hit back at homophobic trolls with, "God has made me the way I am", and would wonder why they cared about his being gay anyway. The LGBTQ influencer and makeup artist was shot dead in Amritsar on Saturday. A Facebook post from a handle 'Goldy Dhillon' appeared soon after, claiming responsibility and saying he had "spoilt" Punjab. Across Punjabi social media, where Sandhu had lakhs of followers, multiple influencers claiming to "save" Punjabi culture posted "he deserved it" messages, alongside some 'RIP' posts.

"Two unidentified men fired at him around 6 pm," said Sirivennela, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police. Officials said the post claiming responsibility is being looked into as part of the probe.

A Life, Interrupted By Trolls

Mad Sandhu, who was around 30 years old, spoke publicly about his struggles in a conservative society several times before his death. "I ignored the negative comments and kept the positive ones in my mind... It doesn't matter now. I know how to live my life," he said in a 'Josh Talks' motivational video in 2021.

He described growing up in a hyper-masculine society, particularly as a Jat Sikh. "I was living a double life; one was that which we have to live according to society, and the other was that in which I was stuck in confusion," he said.

He was later invited onto several Punjabi podcasts to talk about makeup, the film industry, and gender, and some of those conversations turned into heated debates or outright taunts.

On one, the host asked him, "How many boyfriends do you have?" Sandhu replied, "You have no right to get into my personal life." When the host repeated the question, Sandhu walked out.

A series of homophobic posts and videos followed, trolling him.

Sandhu had over 2 lakh followers on Instagram alone, where he posted makeup tutorials, vlogs, and social commentary. He began his career as a stylist and assistant costume designer for films in Punjab and Mumbai, had brief acting roles in some Punjabi productions, and owned a salon in Amritsar.

'Why Did God Make Me Like This?'

Though he did not speak much about his family specifically, he did speak about receiving his mother's support as a child, when he was not sure why he "liked wearing clothes meant for girls, or preferred staying home to watch television, do makeup and read fashion magazines, when other boys were cycling and playing cricket".

He said he was pampered at home, but outside the house people called him names, he said in interviews over the years.

At his school's annual function once, he danced "like a girl". Some teachers and children asked him what he was doing, while others praised him. "A lot of people would come and praise me, that how I being a boy danced like a beautiful girl... I still remember those days when my mom used to send me to school functions dressed up as a girl. She used to do my makeup so well. She used to dress me up so well," he said.

After completing school in Amritsar, his family sent him to Delhi for higher studies, where he said he found acceptance for the first time. But he returned to Punjab after two years. And the old questions came back. He recalled, "Neighbours asked me, 'What have you become?' They told their kids not to be friends with me."

"I was sitting in this conservative world, a world of depression," he said. "But one day, my heart called out to me, and I spoke openly with my family," he recalled in an interview two years ago. "I got a very positive response from them. They understood me," he said. "They asked me what I wanted to do in life. I told them that I was interested in makeup and fashion. They gave me college and university recommendations for admission."

He trained as a stylist and began posting videos and mimicry on social media. He said he walked runway shows and worked as a designer and stylist. "My mom, my dad and my relatives were very proud of me," he said.

'You Don't Live Again And Again'

The negative comments did not stop, but he had learned to set them aside, he said. He addressed young viewers directly in one of his talks: "If I belong to a Jat Sikh family and live in a city like Amritsar, if I can achieve all these things, then you can do a lot."

In July this year, a recording of a phone call between Sandhu and a Nihang Sikh group leader, who fashioned himself as a cultural vigilante, told Sandhu not to use the Jat Sikh surname. "Many boys are becoming gay after watching you," the vigilante said, and asked him to record a video statement saying he had "reformed". When Sandhu told him he was in Mumbai, this man offered to fly there to meet him. The self-appointed culture-saviour objected to Sandhu's "actions like girls" in videos, to which Sandhu replied, "See, God has made me the way He has. What can I do about that?", and apologised to settle the conversation for then. Police have not linked this call to the killing. It was one instance of many such conversations Sandhu found himself in the middle of, for years.

Mad Sandhu often posted about his struggles, but also celebrated his successes online.
Photo: Instagram/@its_madsandhuofficial

His murder brings back into focus a similar killing last year. In June 2025, influencer Kanchan Kumari, known as 'Kamal Kaur Bhabhi', was killed after being lured from her Ludhiana residence on the false pretext of a paid brand promotion, police said. Police named Amritpal Singh Mehron, a Nihang who had objected to her Instagram content as "immoral" and "vulgar", as the accused. He fled to the UAE, but was deported and arrested at the Delhi airport in April 2026.

Mad Sandhu knew he was a target of ridicule and possibly even violence. He asserted that he need not and could not change since he was not in the wrong. "If you accept yourself, people's words, obstacles and difficulties will not matter to you. If you accept yourself, you will be able to live freely," he said in one of his posts.

"Life is very short. You don't live again and again. Accept yourself for what God has made you," he said.