Dara Singh passes away !

Can something known to people, cast many a times before, still become the most popular one – ‘Yes”  proved the success of ‘Ramayan’ – the Television serial directed by Ramanand Sagar. The 78-episode series was originally aired weekly on Doordarshan from January 25, 1987, to July 31, 1988, on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. IST.

The  television adaptation of the ancient Indian Hindu religious epic was  primarily based on Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.  – among the many actors who identified themselves with the roles was the legendary Dara Singh standing tall at at 6’2” with rippling muscles – giving us a visual effect of what we thought of God Hanuman in human form.

Much before the modernday jamboree of untrue wrestling like WWE, the form of wrestling called ‘Pehlwani’ caught the attention of people.  It was developed in the Mughal era through a synthesis of Indian malla-yuddha and Persian Varzesh-e Bastani.  A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a pehlwan, while teachers are known as ustad (or guru, for Hindu teachers.  Dara Singh Randhawa  born in Nov 1928 in Amritsar,  became a classy exponent of this style of wresting.  He later proved to be successful in the film industry too.

Legendary wrestler and actor Dara Singh passed away at his Mumbai home early on Thursday. He was 83.  Dara Singh, who was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital last week after a cardiac arrest, was taken back to his home yesterday night after his condition failed to improve despite continuous medical effort. Doctors,  had said that chances of Dara Singh's recovery were poor.

The World champion wrestler Dara Singh, joined the film industry in 1960s, was last seen in 2007 movie 'Jab We Met' alongside Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.  Dara Singh, was also a  Rajya Sabha member nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party from August 2003 t0 2009.  

Dara Singh was born to Balwant singh and Surat Singh Randhawa  in Nov 1928.   He was encouraged in wrestling due to his massive physique. Besides the tournaments, he wrestled on invitation of kings of Indian princely states and wrestled frequently in haats and melas (fairs and carnivals). He successfully competed against some of the greatest names in wrestling history and professional wrestlers in the United States.  He became the Champion of Malaysia (Indian style wrestling) by defeating Tarlok Singh in Kuala Lumpur. He has toured almost all far-east countries as a Professional Wrestler. Dara Singh returned to India in 1952 and became the Indian Champion in 1954. He became the Commonwealth Champion in 1959.  After becoming the World champion,  Dara Singh retired from the wrestling arena in 1983, undefeated.  Singh  also owned the  prestigious Dara Studio at Mohali, District Rupnagar, Punjab.

The versatile Dara is no more today

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.