Dara Singh

Singh was born in a Punjabi Jat Sikh family as Deedar Singh Randhawa to Surat Singh Randawa and Balwant Kaur on 19 November 1928{{cite news |title=Obituary: Dara Singh - the champion loses his final fight |agency=IANS |work=Hindustan Times|date=12 July 2012 |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/OBITUARY-Dara-Singh-the-champion-loses-his-final-fight/Article1-887448.aspx |access-date=14 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713000223/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/OBITUARY-Dara-Singh-the-champion-loses-his-final-fight/Article1-887448.aspx |archive-date=13 July 2012}}{{cite news |last1=Kahol |first1=Vikas |title=People at ancestral village remember legendary wrestler and film actor Dara Singh |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/people-at-ancestral-village-remember-dara-singh-109168-2012-07-12 |access-date=18 September 2019 |work=India Today |date=13 July 2012 |language=en}} in the village of Dharmuchak in the Majha area of the Punjab region of India. At the time, it was still under British Raj colonial rule.{{cite book |author1=Lentz, Harris M. |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2012 |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0786470631 |pages=266 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V9hM_XbAOcQC&q=%22SINGH,+DARA+Indian+wrestler+and+actor+Dara+Singh+died+of+complications+from+cardiac+arrest+at+his+home+in+Mumbai,+India,+on+July+12,+2012.+He+was+83.+He+was+born+Deedar+Singh+Randhawa+in+Dharmuchak,+British+Punjab+(now+Amritsar),+India,+on+November+19,+1928.%22&pg=PA266 |access-date=31 March 2019}}{{cite news |first=Yudhvir |last=Rana |agency=TNN |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Little-Dara-holds-ray-of-hope-in-wrestlers-village/articleshow/14859207.cms |title=Little Dara holds ray of hope in wrestler's village |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=14 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021055724/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-13/india/32662860_1_dara-singh-akhadas-village |archive-date=21 October 2013 |work=The Times of India |url-status=live }}

File:Dara Singh vs King Kong.jpg at JWA in 1955]]

He came to Singapore in 1947, where he worked in a drum-manufacturing mill and began his wrestling training under Harnam Singh in the Great World Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www.dara-singh.com/ |title="Meri Atmakatha" (Autobiography) |publisher=Dara Singh |date=1989 |access-date=11 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120093124/http://www.dara-singh.com/ |archive-date=20 November 2011 |url-status=live}} As an adult he was {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m}} tall, weighed {{convert|127|kg|lb}} and had a chest measurement of {{convert|53|in|cm}}. Due to his physique, he was encouraged to take up pehlwani, a traditional Indian style of wrestling, in which he trained for several years. After switching to professional wrestling, he competed around the world with opponents such as Bill Verna, Firpo Zbyszko, John Da Silva, Rikidōzan, Danny Lynch and Ski Hi Lee. His flooring of King Kong is still remembered.{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/When-Rustam-e-Hind-lifted-King-Kong-off-his-feet-and-flung-him/articleshow/14859079.cms |title=When Rustam-e-Hind lifted King Kong off his feet and flung him |publisher=Times of India |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=29 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111055840/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/When-Rustam-e-Hind-lifted-King-Kong-off-his-feet-and-flung-him/articleshow/14859079.cms |archive-date=11 January 2018 |url-status=live}} He is credited to have remained undefeated in a professional wrestling bout.

In 1951, Dara Singh lost a traditional city-duel match in Greco-Roman style against Brahmdev Mishra of Gorakhpur in a stadium located at Dharmatala Maidan Calcutta.{{Cite web|title=The Wrestler's Body|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft6n39p104&chunk.id=s1.9.5&toc.id=&brand=ucpress|access-date=27 June 2021|website=publishing.cdlib.org}}{{cite news |last1=Jawed |first1=Zeeshan |date=15 August 2012 |title=City duel that 'broke' Dara - Fans recall champ's stint in akhara on the bank of the Hooghly |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/city-duel-that-broke-dara-fans-recall-champ-s-stint-in-akhara-on-the-bank-of-the-hooghly/cid/1282852 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=31 August 2024}}{{Cite web|last=Gupta|first=Nitish|date=11 December 2019|title=गोरखपुर के इस लाल ने चंद मिनटों में पहलवान दारा सिंह को दी थी पटखनी..|url=https://www.livegorakhpur.com/this-lal-of-gorakhpur-gave-wrestler-dara-singh-a-few-minutes/|access-date=27 June 2021|website=Gorakhpur Live|language=en-US}}{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/993096342|title=Śaharanāmā Gorakhapura|date=2017|editor=Veda Prakāśa Pāṇḍeya, वेद प्रकाश पाण्डेय|isbn=978-93-5229-698-9|edition=Prathama saṃskaraṇa|location=Nayī Dillī|publisher=Vāṇī Prakāśana|oclc=993096342}}

In 1954, Dara competed in the Rustam-e-Hind (Champion of India) tournament where he won the final by defeating Tiger Joginder Singh and received a silver cup from Maharaja Hari Singh.{{cite web |url=http://www.cuttingthechai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dara-singh-newspaper-clipping-04-120712.jpg |title=Free-Style Wrestling: Dara Singh Crowned Champion of Bharat |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=13 June 1954 |location=Bombay |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114233640/http://www.cuttingthechai.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dara-singh-newspaper-clipping-04-120712.jpg |archive-date=14 November 2016 |url-status=dead}} In 1959, he won the Commonwealth Championship by defeating George Gordienko at Calcutta. On 29 May 1968 in Bombay, his victory over Lou Thesz earned him the World championship.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/movies/dara-singh-83-bollywood-star-and-wrestler-dies.html?_r=0 |title=Dara Singh, Wrestler and Bollywood Action Hero, Dies at 83 |work=The New York Times |date=14 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908155616/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/movies/dara-singh-83-bollywood-star-and-wrestler-dies.html?_r=0 |archive-date=8 September 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-18809078 |title=Dara Singh: India's 'first all-action hero' |work=BBC News |date=12 July 2012 |location=Mumbai |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908120318/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-18809078 |archive-date=8 September 2017 |url-status=live}} According to Thesz, Singh was "an authentic wrestler, was superbly conditioned" and had no problem losing to the latter.{{cite web |last1=Oliver |first1=Greg |title=Dara Singh was an Indian icon in wrestling, Bollywood |url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2012/07/13/dara-singh-was-an-indian-icon-in-wrestling-bollywood/ |website=Slam Wrestling |access-date=22 February 2021 |date=13 July 2012}} His last tournament, where he announced his retirement, was held in Delhi in June 1983.{{cite book |title=The Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time |first=John F. |last=Molinaro |editor1-first=Jeff |editor1-last=Marek |editor2-first=Dave |editor2-last=Meltzer |publisher=Winding Stair Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-55366-305-8 |pages=199}}

Singh left his village for Singapore in 1948. He started his career as an actor in 1952 with Sangdil. He was a stunt film actor 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 whom he performed in 16 Hindi films. The couple became the highest-paid B-grade actors, with Singh receiving nearly four lakh rupees per film.{{cite news |agency=TNN |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Mumtaz-Dara-Singhs-kindness-got-me-my-first-role/articleshow/14847676.cms |title=Mumtaz: Dara Singh's kindness got me my first role |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=14 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928094709/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-13/news-interviews/32649724_1_dara-singh-first-film-stunts |archive-date=28 September 2013 |work=The Times of India |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dara-singh-bollywood-first-macho-man/1/207734.html |title=Dara Singh: Bollywood's first macho man |work=India Today |date=12 July 2012 |location=New Delhi |access-date=19 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717024701/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dara-singh-bollywood-first-macho-man/1/207734.html |archive-date=17 July 2012 |url-status=live }} He also had roles in numerous films, such as Veer Bheem Sen and Ramayan, and in other television serials. He starred as Bhima in various Mahabharata movies, besides also playing Balram, he also starred as Shiva in various theological movies.

His last Hindi movie was Jab We Met and the 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 including Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar, Dhyanu Bhagat and Rab Dian Rakhan. He also directed two films in Hindi; Bhakti Mein Shakti and Rustom (1982), which were produced and directed under the banner "Dara Film" which he set up in 1970. Singh acted as himself in the 1985 Malayalam film Mutharamkunnu P.O..

Singh was the owner of Dara Studio{{cite web|url=http://www.darastudio.com/|title=Dara Studio|access-date=11 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118181402/http://www.darastudio.com/|archive-date=18 November 2011|url-status=live}} at Phase 6, Mohali City, District SAS Nagar, Punjab. Dara Film Studio was founded in 1978. The studio was operational from 1980 as a film studio.

Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 1998.{{cite web|title=Dara Singh joins BJP|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/jan/31dara.htm|website=Rediff.com|access-date=3 May 2017|date=31 January 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908111835/http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/jan/31dara.htm|archive-date=8 September 2017|url-status=live}} He became the first sportsperson to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the Parliament of India. He served in that role between 2003 and 2009. He was also president of the Jat Mahasabha.{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-12/news-interviews/32647460_1_dara-singh-watan-se-door-kokilaben-ambani-hospital |title=Dara Singh taken home |date=12 July 2012 |agency=TNN |access-date=12 July 2012 |location=Mumbai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021055740/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-12/news-interviews/32647460_1_dara-singh-watan-se-door-kokilaben-ambani-hospital |archive-date=21 October 2013 |work=The Times of India |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-04-20/india/28343096_1_dharmendra-nomination-papers-sunny-and-bobby|title=Hema garam, won't canvass for Dharam|date=18 June 2009|agency=TNN|access-date=15 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811043339/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-04-20/india/28343096_1_dharmendra-nomination-papers-sunny-and-bobby|archive-date=11 August 2011|work=The Times of India|url-status=dead}}

Singh's son Vindu Dara Singh, launched his first comic book The Epic Journey of the Great Dara Singh at Oxford Bookstore in New Delhi in February 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/book-launches/vindu-dara-singh-launches-comic-book/articleshow/67846928.cms|title=Vindu Dara Singh launches comic book - Times of India|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=14 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215093032/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/book-launches/vindu-dara-singh-launches-comic-book/articleshow/67846928.cms|archive-date=15 February 2019|url-status=live}}

Singh married twice. He had three sons and three daughters, including Vindu Dara Singh. His brother Randhawa was also a wrestler and actor.

Singh was admitted into Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on 7 July 2012 following a massive heart attack. Two days later, it was confirmed that he had brain damage due to the lack of blood flow.{{cite news |title=Wrestler-actor Dara Singh dies |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/wrestleractor-dara-singh-dies/ |access-date=20 January 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=11 July 2012 |language=en}} He was discharged from hospital on 11 July 2012, citing that nothing can be done to prolong life, and died the next day at his home in Mumbai.{{cite news| url= http://zeenews.india.com/etertainment/celebrity/dara-singh-passes-away-after-prolonged-illness_115095.htm| title= Dara Singh taken home, doctors say less chance of recovery| date= 10 July 2012| access-date= 14 July 2012| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021052144/http://zeenews.india.com/etertainment/celebrity/dara-singh-passes-away-after-prolonged-illness_115095.htm| archive-date= 21 October 2013| url-status= live}} He was cremated at Juhu crematorium.{{cite web|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/hundreds-attend-dara-singhs-funeral-mumbai-114031818.html|title=Hundreds attend Dara Singh's funeral in Mumbai|date=12 July 2012|publisher=Yahoo India news|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715234847/http://in.news.yahoo.com/hundreds-attend-dara-singhs-funeral-mumbai-114031818.html|archive-date=15 July 2012|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2012/07/legendary-indian-wrestler-dara-singh-passes-away-554255/|title=Legendary Indian Wrestler Dara Singh Passes Away, WWE Stars Comment|date=12 July 2012|website=Wrestling Inc.|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220170758/https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2012/07/legendary-indian-wrestler-dara-singh-passes-away-554255/|archive-date=20 December 2019|url-status=live}}

In 1996, Singh was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He was ranked 94 out of 100 wrestlers for Dave Meltzer's Top 100 Wrestlers of all time in 2002. In 2016, Dara was included in the list India's top wrestlers of all time.{{Cite news|date=26 August 2016|title=India's top wrestlers of all time|work=India Today|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/indias-best-wrestler-336857-2016-08-26|access-date=19 April 2020}} On 7 April 2018, WWE inducted him in WWE Hall of Fame Legacy class of 2018.{{cite news |title=WWE inducts Dara Singh in WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/wwe/story/wwe-inducts-dara-singh-in-wwe-hall-of-fame-class-of-2018-1207491-2018-04-08 |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=India Today |date=8 April 2018 |language=en}}

• World Wide Wrestling Association
• WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
• Maple Leaf Wrestling
• NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Yukon Eric{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/s/stan-neilson/|title=Stan Neilson - OWW|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627213856/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/s/stan-neilson/|archive-date=27 June 2019|url-status=live}}
• Indian promotions
• Commonwealth Championship (1959){{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/obituary-dara-singh-bollywoods-original-muscle-man/article3630470.ece |title=Obituary: Dara Singh — Bollywood's original muscle man|newspaper=The Hindu |date=12 July 2012}}
• World Championship (1968){{cite web |url=http://mapleleafwrestling.blogspot.in/2010/01/mlg-varsity-singhs.html |title=MLG, Varsity, & The Singh's |publisher=Maple Leaf Wrestling |date=24 January 2010 |access-date=26 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719034151/http://mapleleafwrestling.blogspot.in/2010/01/mlg-varsity-singhs.html |archive-date=19 July 2012 |url-status=live }}
• Champion of Malaysia (1951){{cite web |url= http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-dara-singh-606046 |title= Ten things you didn't know about Dara Singh |publisher= NDTV |date= 12 July 2012 |access-date= 26 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160409124351/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-dara-singh-606046 |archive-date= 9 April 2016 |url-status= live }}
• Rustam-e-Hind (1954)
• Rustam-e-Punjab (1966)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
• Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• WWE
• WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018){{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/amp/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2018/article/legacy-inductions|title=Congratulations to the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy inductees|publisher=WWE|date=7 April 2018|access-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408073504/http://www.wwe.com/amp/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2018/article/legacy-inductions|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=live}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |last=Vitali |first=Valentina |title=Hindi Action Cinema: Industries, Narratives, Bodies |year=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-569244-0 |pages=144–180 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pkdlHwAACAAJ}}

• Dara Singh Meri Atmkatha (en. My Autobiography by Dara Singh) 1993 Praveen Prakashan

{{Commons Category}}

• [http://www.dara-singh.com/ Official Website]
• {{IMDb name|id=0802107}}
• {{cite news|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/dara-singh|title=Dara Singh' WWE profile|newspaper=Wwe }}

{{Dara Singh}}

{{Indian martial arts}}

{{WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Wing}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Dara}}

Category:20th-century Indian male actors

Category:21st-century Indian male actors

Category:1928 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Punjab

Category:Film directors from Mumbai

Category:Film producers from Mumbai

Category:Hindi film producers

Category:Hindi-language film directors

Category:Indian actor-politicians

Category:Indian male film actors

Category:Indian male professional wrestlers

Category:Indian male television actors

Category:Male actors from Mumbai

Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema

Category:Male actors in Malayalam cinema

Category:Male actors in Punjabi cinema

Category:Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha

Category:Politicians from Mumbai

Category:Punjabi Sikhs

Category:Sportspeople from Amritsar district

Category:WWE Hall of Fame Legacy inductees

Category:Professional wrestlers from Punjab, India

Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers

Category:NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions

Category:People from Punjab Province (British India)