Dara Singh

Biography

Dara Singh was an Indian wrestler-turned-actor from Indian Punjab. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He has also worked as Hindi and Punjabi film producer, director and writer in his career. He has also been an Indian television actor.

He started his career as an actor in 1952 with Sangdil. He was confined to B-grade roles 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 her he performed in 16 Hindi films and 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 was liked more in the role of ?Bheem Sen? in films like Veer Bheem Sen and Ramayan and in role of ?Hanuman? both in films and TV serial. He worked with Prathviraj Kapoor in Sikander-e-Aazam, Khakaan, Lootera, Daku Mangalsingh and Insaaf. He also played the Alexander in Sikander-e-Aazam. He worked in some television serial shows, including Had Kar Di which was aired on Zee TV and Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa for StarOne. His last Hindi movie was Jab We Met and 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 of which Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar, Dhyanu Bhagat, Rab Dian Rakhan were commercial hits,[citation needed] and directed two films in Hindi, Bhakti Mein Shakti and Rustom (1982). His directorial venture Bhakti Mein Shakti, a mythological film, completed a record run at Delhi?s Imperial Cinema in 1978. He produced 8 films and wrote the story for 7 films. These films were produced and directed under the banner "Dara Film" which he set up in 1970.

He was admitted in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on 7 July 2012 following a cardiac arrest. He was released from hospital on 11 July in deference to the wishes of his family. He died on 12 July 2012 at his home in Mumbai. He was cremated at Juhu crematorium.