Remembering Dara Singh : Hindi Cinema’s 1st He Man

Dara Singh – A Young Wrestler

Dara Singh – An Old Father Figure

Dara Singh – An Era Ends

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JULY 19 , 2012           01.35 A.M.

Hindi cinema‘s 1st he man , Hindi cinema’s 1st action hero , Hindi cinema’s 1st super hero and Hindi cinema’s 1st actor to appear on-screen without shirt , [ it happened much before Dharmendra and Salman Khan ]  wrestler turned actor Dara Singh a.k.a. Deedar Singh Randhawa died on July 12 , 2012 in Mumbai . He was 83 years old at the time of his death .

Much before he entered Hindi film world as an actor , he was a world-famous wrestler . From a small village Dharmuchak near Amritsar , Punjab to the world arena of free – style wrestling , he bestrode it like a colossus . He went to Singapore and became Champion Of Malaysia in 1947 . After that he never looked back and never got defeated till the very end of his career . In 1983 in his last tournament in Delhi , he himself announced his retirement . An invincible inning thus ended . Winning titles like ; RUSTAM – E – PUNJAB [ 1966 ] , RUSTAM – E – HIND [ 1978 ] and RUSTAM – E – ZAMAN during his long , illustrious and always victorious career , enhanced his prestige and his popularity soared to new heights in India and he became an idiom for the whole generation of Indians .

I still remember watching his posters and other publicity materials during my childhood and teenage years with curiosity and with wide eyes . His wrestling events , which were highly popular and known as free – style wrestling , were talk of the nation during those days .

I could never watch his wrestling in akhada . Though I have heard his name during my school – college days . Me and my classmates were his huge fans .

Old Poster of Dara Singh’s Wrestling Event

In Wrestling Arena

I only knew him through his films . When I heard about his death , I was deeply saddened as one more icon of my childhood days , one more film hero of my growing years is gone forever . In those days his films were considered and were categorized as B – Great movies . But I have no shame to admit that I was his huge fan and used to watch his black & white flicks in the cinema halls of my home town Deoria . I still remember several noon and afternoon shows in Amarjyoti Talkies and Vijay Talkies of Deoria , when I sneaked into the dark interiors of these cinema halls to watch his films and used to wait for his arrival on-screen . His first appearance on-screen was always greeted with deafening uproar , whistles and claps of the audience including me . I still remember his action scenes and deeply miss them . His action scenes were raw , rustic and had their own charm . They were not mechanically choreographed like present day action scenes .

His first Hindi film was ” Sangdil ” [ 1952 ] . It coincides with my birth year . His first commercial hit was ” King Kong ” [ 1962 ] . His first Hindi film , which I watched , was “Faulad ” [ 1963 ] . This film , along with Dara Singh , had Mumtaz , her sister Minoo Mumtaz , who incidentally married Dara Singh’s younger brother Randhawa and Kamran , whose son Sajid Khan and daughter Farah Khan are well-known to the present generation of film – goers .

Later on I watched his other hits like ; ” Sikandar – E – Azam ” [ 1965 ] , ” Daku Mangal Singh ” [ 1966 ] , ” Balram Shri Krishna ” [ 1968 ] , ” Toofan ” [ 1969 ] , ” Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar ” [ 1970 ] , ” Mera Naam Joker ” [ 1970 ] , ” Sultana Daku ” [ 1972 ] , ” Lalkar ” [ 1972 ] , ” Mera Desh Mera Dharam ” [ 1973 ] , ” Har Har Mahadev ” [ 1974 ] , ” Warrant ” [ 1975 ] , ” Dharam Karam ” [ 1975 ] , ” Jai Bajrang Bali ” [ 1976 ] , ” Mard ” [ 1985 ] , ” Kal Ho Na Ho ” [ 2003 ] and ” Jab We Met ” [ 2007 ] .

He also appeared in some popular serials like ; ” Ramayan ” [ 1986 ] , ” Mahabharat ” [ 1988 ] , ” Uttar Ramayan ” [ 1989 ] and ” Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka ” [ 2006 ] .

Young Wrestling Hero – 1

Young Wrestling Hero – 2

Young Wrestling Hero – 3

Young Wrestling Hero – 4

Young Wrestling Hero – 5

Young Wrestling Hero – 6

Young Wrestling Hero – 7

Young Wrestling Hero – 8

Young Wrestling Hero – 9 With Mumtaz

Young Wrestling Hero – 10 With Helen

Young Wrestling Hero – 11 With Mumtaz

Young Wrestling Hero – 12

Young Wrestling Hero – 13

Young Wrestling Hero – 14

Young Wrestling Hero – 15 With Mumtaz

Young Wrestling Hero – 16

Young Wrestling Hero – 17 in Colour Era

Young Wrestling Hero – 18 in Colour Era

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 1

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 2

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 3

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 4

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 5

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 6

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 7

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 8

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 9

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 10

Dara Singh’s Film Poster – 11

Mera Naam Joker (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dharam Karam (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Film Poster (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jab We Met – The Last Film of The Legend

In Ramanand Sagar‘s Ramayan he played Bhagwan Hanuman and this portryal made him immortal .

Ramayan (TV series) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Hanuman in ” Ramayan ” Serial

His record in films , apart from wrestling arena , were also enviable . He directed 7 Punjabi films and 2 Hindi films . Apart from these , he produced 8 films and wrote story for 7 films . As an actor he appeared in 121 Hindi films and 21 Punjabi films . Out of these total 144 films , he played main lead in 58 films . Out of these 58 films , he worked with Mumtaz in 16 films and out of those 16 films 10 were super hits .

He was the first sportsman to be nominated to Rajya Sabha by Bharatiya Janata Party . He served as an MP from 2003 to 2009 .

With Ashok Kumar

With Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi & Amitabh Bachchan

Shri Dara Singh inaugurating Harakh Chand Nahata Marg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All India Jat Mahasabha Centenary Celebration 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two Shades of The Legend

Collage of The legend

Life is ephemeral . One day one has to go for one’s celestial journey . It is heart – breaking that one by one all the icons of my growing years are leaving this world .

Farewell Dara Singh ji ! You were pride of our generation . I know there would be no one like you .

Rest in Peace sir !

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

www.jaibhojpuri.com/profile/VidurChaturvedi

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