Dara Singh

Dara Singh (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, and politician. Widely regarded as one of India's greatest wrestlers, Singh earned international recognition during the 1950s and 1960s for his victories in both Indian and world wrestling circuits. In 1968, Singh became world champion by defeating Lou Thesz.

Transitioning to cinema, Singh appeared in over 100 Hindi and Punjabi films, often portraying strong, heroic and religious characters, and is best remembered for his iconic role as Hanuman in the film Bajrangbali (1976) and in the television series Ramayan (1987–1988). He was the first sportsperson to be nominated as Member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009, he was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1996. Singh was inducted into the Legacy wing of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

Early life Singh was born in a Punjabi Jat Sikh family as Deedar Singh Randhawa to Surat Singh Randhawa and Balwant Kaur on 19 November 1928 in the village of Dharmuchak in the Majha area of the Punjab region of India. At the time, it was still under British Raj colonial rule.

Career Professional wrestling

He came to Singapore in 1947, where he worked in a drum-manufacturing mill and began his wrestling training under Harnam Singh in the Great World Stadium. As an adult he was tall, weighed and had a chest measurement of . Due to his physique, he was encouraged to take up pehlwani, a traditional Indian style of wrestling, in which he trained for several years. After switching to professional wrestling, he competed around the world with opponents such as Bill Verna, Firpo Zbyszko, John Da Silva, Rikidōzan, Danny Lynch and Ski Hi Lee. His flooring of King Kong is still remembered. He is credited to have remained undefeated in a professional wrestling bout.

In 1951, Dara Singh lost a traditional city-duel match in Greco-Roman style against Brahmdev Mishra of Gorakhpur in a stadium located at Dharmatala Maidan Calcutta.

In 1954, Dara competed in the Rustam-e-Hind (Champion of India) tournament where he won the final by defeating Tiger Joginder Singh and received a silver cup from Maharaja Hari Singh. In 1959, he won the Commonwealth Championship by defeating George Gordienko at Calcutta. On 29 May 1968 in Bombay, his victory over Lou Thesz earned him the World championship. According to Thesz, Singh was "an authentic wrestler, was superbly conditioned" and had no problem losing to the latter. His last tournament, where he announced his retirement, was held in Delhi in June 1983.

Films and television Singh left his village for Singapore in 1948. He made his first on-screen appearance in a dream sequence from the film Pehli Jhalak (1954) where he was seen doing a wrestling scene with Om Prakash with Begum Para as the referee. He was a stunt film actor for many years and played his first lead role in Babubhai Mistry's film King Kong (1962). From around 1963, he partnered often with Mumtaz, with whom he performed in 16 Hindi films. The couple became the highest-paid B-grade actors, with Singh receiving nearly four lakh rupees per film.

He then went on to do television in the late 1980s, where he played the role of Hanuman in the television adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayan. He also had roles in numerous films, such as Veer Bheem Sen and Ramayan, and in other television serials. He starred as Bhima in various Mahabharata movies, besides also playing Balram, he also starred as Shiva in various theological movies.

His last Hindi movie was Jab We Met and the last Punjabi movie released before his illness was Dil Apna Punjabi. He acted in National Award-winning film Main Maa Punjab Dee directed by Balwant Singh Dullat. He directed seven Punjabi films including Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar, Dhyanu Bhagat and Rab Dian Rakhan. He also directed two films in Hindi; Bhakti Mein Shakti and Rustom (1982), which were produced and directed under the banner "Dara Film" which he set up in 1970. Singh acted as himself in the 1985 Malayalam film Mutharamkunnu P.O..

Dara Studio Singh was the owner of Dara Studio at Phase 6, Mohali City, District SAS Nagar, Punjab. Dara Film Studio was founded in 1978. The studio was operational from 1980 as a film studio.

Politics Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 1998. He became the first sportsperson to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the Parliament of India. He served in that role between 2003 and 2009. He was also president of the Jat Mahasabha.

Comics Singh's son Vindu Dara Singh, launched his first comic book The Epic Journey of the Great Dara Singh at Oxford Bookstore in New Delhi in February 2019.

Personal life Singh married twice. He had three sons and three daughters, including Vindu Dara Singh. His brother Randhawa was also a wrestler and actor.

Death Singh was admitted into Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on 7 July 2012 following a massive heart attack. Two days later, it was confirmed that he had brain damage due to the lack of blood flow. He was discharged from hospital on 11 July 2012, citing that nothing can be done to prolong life, and died the next day at his home in Mumbai. He was cremated at Juhu crematorium.

Awards and recognition In 1996, Singh was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He was ranked 94 out of 100 wrestlers for Dave Meltzer's Top 100 Wrestlers of all time in 2002. In 2016, Dara was included in the list India's top wrestlers of all time. On 7 April 2018, WWE inducted him in WWE Hall of Fame Legacy class of 2018.

Filmography Year TitleDirectorProducer Notes 1970 Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar 1973Mera Desh Mera Dharam 1974 Bhagat Dhanna Jatt 1976 Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun 1978 Dhyanu Bhagat 1978 Bhakti Mein Shakti 1982 Rustom1985 Mutharamkunnu P.O

+ Acting roles Year Title Role NotesRef. 1954 Pehli Jhalak Wrestler Dara Singh 1960 Engal Selvi Tamil film 1962 King Kong Jingu / King Kong 1963 Faulad Faulad Singh Rustom-E-Baghdad Dara/Rustom-E-Baghdad Awara Abdulla Abdulla 1964 Samson Samson Aaya Toofan Deepu Jagga Jagga Daku Aandhi Aur Toofan Darasingh: Ironman Dara Singh 1965 Rustom-E-Hind BoxerTara Tarzan comes to Delhi Tarzan Sher Dil Raaka Saat Samundar Paar Mahabharat Bheem Sikandar-E-Azam Alexander Lootera 1966 Dulla Bhatti Dulla Bhatti Punjabi film Naujawan Veer Bajrang Husn Ka Ghulam Dada Daku Mangal Singh Daku Mangal Singh / Kumar Hindi film Jawan Mard 1967 Chand Par Chadayee Do Dushman Watan Se Door NasihatSangdil 1968 Jung Aur Aman Balram Shri Krishna Balram 1969 Danka Thief of Baghdad Faulad Ki Aulad Toofan Badal1970 Choron Ka Chor Ashok Hudd kar di Devendra Singh Dhanowa Ilzaam Raju/Kishan Mera Naam Joker Sher Singh Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar Kartar Singh Punjabi film 1971 Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon Ramu Ustad Ramu Tulsi Vivah Bhagwan Shiv Anand Pahalwan 1972 Aankhon Aankhon Mein Pahelwan Hari Darshan Bhagwan Shiv Lalkaar Mele Mitran De Punjabi film Sultana Daku 1975 Warrant Pyaara Singh 1973 Hum Sab Chor Hain Mera Desh Mera Dharam1974 Kuwara Baap Amar Saheed Bhagat Singh Kaher Singh Bhagat Dhanna Jatt Dhanna Jatt Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam Daku Daulay Khan Har Har Mahadev Bhagwan Shiv Satguru Teri Oat Punjabi film Kisan Aur Bhagwan Dhanna Zehreela Insaan1975 Dharam Karam Ustaad ji Dharmatma Pahelwan1976 Bajrangbali Hanuman Lambhardarni Lambardar/Dharma Punjabi film Raakhi Aur Rifle Ganga Singh Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun Kartar Singh Punjabi film Apna Khoon Apna Dushman1977 Jai Bolo Chakradhari Jai Mata Di Balbir Punjabi film Ram Bharose Sardar Vikram Singh1978 Bhakti Mein Shakti Dyanu Bhakt Dhyanu Bhagat Dhyanu Bhagat Punjabi film Nalayak Pahelwan Sone Ka Dil Lohe Ke Haath Nihalchand Giddha Bhalwaan Dulla ji1979 Chambal Ki Raani Jhoota Kahin Ka Bodybuilder, Dance partner in Item Song1980Shiv Shakti Banmanush1981 Guru Suleman Chela Pahelwan Khel Muqaddar Ka1982 Main Intequam Loonga Ajay Kumar Rustom Rustom Mangal Singh1983 Babul Da Vehra Punjabi film Unkhili Muttiar Mechanic Punjabi film1984 Maya Bazar Ghatotkach Gujarati film Aan Aur Shaan1985 Mutharamkunnu P.O. Himself Malayalam film Mard Raja Azaad Singh Vikram Aur Betaal Virvar TV; 2 episodes1986 Karma Dharma Bulekha Krishna-Krishna Bhagwan Shri Balram Ramayan Hanuman TV series Sajna Sath Nibhana Joseph Maaveeran Sethupathi Tamil film adaptation of Mard 1988 Maula Jatt Maula Jatt & Dharma Paanch Fauladi Ustadji (Fauladi #1) Mahaveera Delar Singh Mahabharat Hanuman TV series 1989 Shehzaade Jailor Elaan-E-Jung Bheema Gharana Vijay Singh Pahelwan1990 Tera Mera Pyar Preet's father Naaka Bandi Dharam Singh Pratiggya Daku Delavar Singh Sheran De Putt Sher Subedaar1991 Dharam Sankat Dara (the dacoit) Ajooba Maharaja Karan Singh Maut Ki Sazaa Pyara Singh 1992 Prem Deewane Loha Singh1993 Bechain Captain Dara Anmol Dara Shamsher, Zafar's father 1994 Karan1995 Ram Shastra Police Commissioner Jai Veer Hanuman Kesari TV serial1997 Lav Kush Hanuman Main Maa Punjab Dee Punjabi film1998 Guru Gobind Singh Auto Driver Telugu film Qahar Guest appearance1999 Dillagi Veer Singh Zulmi Baba Thakur Door Nahin Nankana Bhakhtawar Singh Hudd Kar Di Devender Singh Dhanwa/Papaji TV series 2000 Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge Sapna's grandfather Guest appearance 2001 Farz Tayaji 2002 Shararat Mr. Gujral 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho Pritam Chaddha Border Hindustan Ka Jamail Singh 2004 Family Business TV series2006 Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa Amardeep Sehgal (Dadaji) TV series Dil Apna Punjabi Hardam Singh 2007 Jab We Met Suryendra Singh Dhillon 2012 Ata Pata Lapata Guest appearance

Championships and accomplishments World Wide Wrestling Association WWWA World Heavyweight Championship Maple Leaf Wrestling NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Yukon Eric Indian promotions Commonwealth Championship (1959) World Championship (1968) Champion of Malaysia (1951) Rustam-e-Hind (1954) Rustam-e-Punjab (1966) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) WWE WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)

References

Dara Singh

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