Dara Singh
Dara Singh (civil Deedar Singh Randhawa ; Panjabi : ਦਾਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ Dārā Siṃgh ; * November 19, 1928 in Dharmuchak , Punjab ; † July 12, 2012 in Mumbai , Maharashtra ) was an Indian wrestler who wasactivein Hindi and Punjabi films alongside and after his sporting career as an actor , film director and producer . Politically, he was involved in the Jat Sikh community and was called to the Rajya Sabha .
Life
Dara Singh was born in the village of Dharmuchak in the Amritsar district of the Jat Sikh community. He began as an amateur with the Pehlwani sport, an Indian ring style , and performed with it at fairs. From the late 1940s he played professional wrestling matches with a height of 1.88 m and a fighting weight of 130 kg . He went on tours through South and Southeast Asia and in Commonwealth countries and fought against Tarlok Singh , King Kong , George Gordienko , Lou Thesz and John Desilva , among others . Dara Singh won the Professional Indian Wrestling Championship in 1953 and the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship trophy in 1959. For his sporting achievements he was awarded the titles "Rustam-e-Punjab" (1966) and "Rustam-e-Hind" (1978). In 1983 he ended his wrestling career and was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 .
In 1952 he had his first appearance in a film. After a few more sporadic film appearances in the 1950s, he had his breakthrough as an actor with the lead role in Babubhai Mistris King Kong (1962). His role subject was action heroes in stunt- rich B-movies in the tradition of Master Vithal , with whom he created a large fan base, especially in the rural and small-town working class. In the 1960s, he formed a screen couple with actress Mumtaz in 16 Hindi films including Faulad (1963), Veer Bhimsen (1964), Aandhi Aur Toofan (1964), Boxer (1965), Raaka (1965), Daku Mangal Singh (1966) Jawan Mard (1966) and Do Dushman (1967). He often played in mythological films and under the directors Kedar Kapoor , Mohammed Hussein and Chandrakant . In large mainstream productions, Dara Singh was mostly only seen with guest appearances or in small roles. Apart from that, he played Amitabh Bachchan's father in Manmohan Desais Mard (1985) and a former criminal in Subhash Ghai's Karma (1986).
India-wide popularity brought Dara Singh his role as Hanuman in the television series Ramayan (1986) by Ramanand Sagar and Mahabharat (1988) by Baldev Raj Chopra based on the national epics of the same name .
In 1970 Dara Singh was the first director, producer and author of his own film - Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar , for which he was able to engage the actors Balraj Sahni , Prithviraj Kapoor , Pran and Achala Sachdev . He made at least seven other Punjabi and Hindi films. In 1989 he published his autobiography Meri Atmakatha .
Politically, Dara Singh campaigned for the interests of his Jat community. From August 2003 to August 2009 he was an appointed member of the Rajya Sabha on the initiative of the Bharatiya Janata Party .
Dara Singh was married twice and had a total of six children. He died of a heart attack. His son Vindu Dara Singh is also an actor.
Filmography
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literature
- Entry on Dara Singh in Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema , p. 216 f.
- Dara Singh: Meri Atmakatha , 1989, Praveen Prakashan, ISBN 81-85267-35-9
Web links
- Official website of Dara Singh
- Dara Singh in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Dara Singh passes away in The Times of India on July 12, 2012
- Obituary in telegraph.co.uk July 14, 2012
Individual evidence
- ↑ Little Dara holds ray of hope in wrestler's village in The Times of India from July 13, 2012
- ↑ http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_dara-singh-the-original-muscle-man-of-bollywood_1713886
- ↑ http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dara-singhs-most-memorable-fight/20120712.htm
- ↑ Mumtaz: Dara Singh's kindness got me my first role in The Times of India of July 13, 2012
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Singh, Dara |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Singh Randhawa, Deedar (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Indian wrestler, actor, film director and film producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 19, 1928 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dharmuchak , Punjab |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 12, 2012 |
| Place of death | Mumbai , Maharashtra |