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.

Born in the village of Dharmuchak in the Amritsar District of Punjab (then British India) into a Punjabi Jat Sikh family, he grew up to become an international wrestling champion before transitioning to a prolific career in cinema and later serving as a Member of Parliament.

He moved to Singapore in 1947, where he worked in a drum-manufacturing mill and began wrestling training under Harnam Singh at the Great World Stadium. Standing 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighing 127 kilograms (280 lb) with a 53-inch chest, he excelled in traditional Indian pehlwani before switching to professional wrestling.

Full Name	Dara Singh
Nick Name	Dara
Other Name(s)	Dara Singh Randhawa , Deedar Singh Randhawa
Occupation	Professional Wrestler/Actor/Politician
Date of Birth	19-November-1928 (83 years)
Birth Location	Dharmuchak, Amritsar District, Punjab, British India
Gender	Male
Nationality	Indian
Religion	Sikh
Zodiac Sign	Scorpio
Death Time	12-July-2012
Death Location	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Height	188 cm
Weight	130 kg
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Salt & Pepper
Hobbies	Travelling

He competed globally against opponents including Bill Verna, Rikidōzan, and King Kong, remaining undefeated in professional wrestling bouts throughout his career. 

He achieved significant titles throughout his wrestling career. In 1951, he became Champion of Malaysia after defeating Tarlok Singh in Singapore. He won the Rustam-e-Hind (Champion of India) tournament in 1954 by defeating Tiger Joginder Singh in the final. In 1959, he captured the Commonwealth Championship in Calcutta by defeating favorites including King Kong and George Gordienko.

His crowning achievement came on 29 May 1968 in Bombay, where he defeated American world champion Lou Thesz to win the World Championship. Thesz later described Singh as "an authentic wrestler" who was "superbly conditioned". He announced his retirement from wrestling at a tournament in Delhi in June 1983 after approximately 500 fights. 

Dara Singh began his acting career in 1952 with a supporting role in the Dilip Kumar-Madhubala film Sangdil. He became a stunt film actor and played his first lead role in Babubhai Mistry's King Kong (1962), which launched him as a category of movies unto himself.

From around 1963, he frequently partnered with actress Mumtaz, appearing together in 16 Hindi films; they became the highest-paid B-grade actors of their time, with Singh earning nearly four lakh rupees per film.

Dara Singh appeared in over 100 Hindi and Punjabi films, often portraying strong, heroic, and religious characters. He is best remembered for his iconic role as Hanuman in the film Bajrangbali (1976) and in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan (1987–1988).

He also starred as Bhima in various Mahabharata movies, played Balram in theological films, and portrayed Shiva in numerous religious movies. His last Hindi movie was Jab We Met (2007), and his last Punjabi film released before his illness was Dil Apna Punjabi (2006).

Beyond acting, he worked as a film producer, director, and writer. He founded "Dara Film" in 1970 and directed seven Punjabi films including Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar, Dhyanu Bhagat, and Rab Dian Rakhan. He also directed two Hindi films: Bhakti Mein Shakti and Rustom (1982). In 1978, he established Dara Studio at Phase 6, Mohali City, in Punjab, which became operational as a film studio in 1980. 

Dara Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 1998. On 27 August 2003, he became the first sportsperson ever nominated as a Member of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India's Parliament), serving until 26 August 2009. He was also president of the Jat Mahasabha (All India Jat Samaj) and the Bombay Jat Samaj. 

Dara Singh married twice: first to Bachno Kaur in 1942 (married until 1952) and later to Surjit Kaur in 1961. He had six children, three sons and three daughters including actor Vindu Dara Singh. His brother Randhawa was also a wrestler and actor.

On 7 July 2012, he was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai following a massive heart attack. Two days later, doctors confirmed he had suffered brain damage due to lack of blood flow. He was discharged on 11 July 2012, and died the next day at his home in Mumbai at age 83. He was cremated at Juhu crematorium. 

In 1996, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, and inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He was ranked 94 out of 100 wrestlers in Dave Meltzer's Top 100 Wrestlers of All Time in 2002.

In 2016, he was included in the list of India's top wrestlers of all time. On 7 April 2018, WWE inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame Legacy class of 2018, recognizing his international wrestling legacy. His son Vindu Dara Singh launched a comic book titled The Epic Journey of the Great Dara Singh at Oxford Bookstore in New Delhi in February 2019.