Early life

Dara Singh was born on 19 November in 1928 in the village of Dharmuchak, which was then a part of British Punjab and is now in Amritsar district. He went Singapore in 1947 where he worked in a drum manufacturing mill and started his wrestling training under Harnam Singh in the Great World Stadium.

Career

Wrestling

As an adult he was 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, weighed 127 kilograms (280 lb) and had a chest measurement of 53 inches (130 cm). Due to his physique, he was encouraged to take up Pehlwani, an Indian style of wrestling. During his wrestling career he competed around the world with opponents such as Bill Verna, Firpo Zbyszko, John Da Silva, Rikidōzan, Danny Lynch and Ski Hi Lee etc, his act of flooring King Kong is always remembered. 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 Wrestling Championship. His last tournament, where he announced his retirement, was held in Delhi in June 1983. In 1996 he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Films and television

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.

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 also had roles numerous films, such as Veer Bheem Sen and Ramayan, and in other television serials.

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 including Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar, Dhyanu Bhagat, 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.

Dara Studio

Singh was the owner of Dara Studio at Mohali, District Mohali, Punjab. Dara Film Studio was founded in 1978. The studio was operational from 1980 as a film studio.

Politics

Singh became the first sportsman 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.

Personal life

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

Death

He was admitted in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on 7 July 2012 following a cardiac arrest. He died on 12 July 2012 at his home in Mumbai. He was cremated at Juhu crematorium.

Filmography

As actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Sangdil
1954	Pehli Jhalak	Wrestler Dara Singh
1962	King Kong	Jingu / King Kong
1963	Faulad	Faulad Singh
1963	Rustom-E-Baghdad	Dara/Rustom-E-Baghdad
1963	Awara Abdulla	Abdulla
1964	Samson	Samson
1964	Jagga	Jagga Daku
1964	Aandhi Aur Toofan
1964	Darasingh: Ironman	Dara Singh
1965	Rustom-E-Hind
1965	Boxer
1965	Sher Dil
1965	Raaka
1965	Sikandar-E-Azam	Alexander
1965	Lootera
1966	Naujawan
1966	Veer Bajrang
1966	Dada
1966	Daku Mangal Singh	Daku Mangal Singh/ Kumar
1966	Jawan Mard
1967	Do Dushman
1967	Watan Se Door
1967	Nasihat
1968	Thief of Baghdad
1968	Jung Aur Aman
1968	Balram Shri Krishna	Balram
1969	Faulad ki Aulad
1969	Toofan	Badal
1970	Choron Ka Chor	Ashok
1970	Ilzaam	Raju/Kishan
1970	Mera Naam Joker	Sher Singh
1970	Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar	Kartar Singh	Punjabi film
1971	Kabhi Dhoop Kabhi Chhaon
1971	Ramu Ustad	Ramu
1971	Tulsi Vivah	Bhagwan Shiv
1971	Anand	Pahalwan	Guest appearance
1972	Aankhon Aankhon Mein	Pahelwan
1972	Hari Darshan	Bhagwan Shiv
1972	Lalkaar
1972	Mele Mitran De		Punjabi film
1972	Sultana Daku
1975	Warrant	Pyaara Singh
1973	Hum Sab Chor Hain
1973	Mera Desh Mera Dharam
1974	Kuwara Baap
1974	Bhagat Dhanna Jatt	Dhanna Jatt
1974	Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam	Daku Daulay Khan
1974	Har Har Mahadev	Bhagwan Shiv
1974	Kisan Aur Bhagwan	Dhanna
1974	Zehreela Insaan
1975	Dharam Karam	Ustaad ji
1975	Dharmatma	Pahelwan
1976	Bajrangbali	Hanuman
1976	Lambhardarni	Lambardar/Dharma	Punjabi film
1976	Raakhi Aur Rifle	Ganga Singh
1976	Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun	Kartar Singh	Punjabi film
1976	Apna Khoon Apna Dushman
1977	Jai Bolo Chakradhari
1977	Ram Bharose	Sardar Vikram Singh
1978	Bhakti Mein Shakti	Dyanu Bhakt
1978	Dhyanu Bhagat	Dhyanu Bhagat	Punjabi film
1978	Nalayak	Pahelwan
1978	Sone Ka Dil Lohe Ke Haath	Nihalchand
1978	Giddha	Bhalwaan Dulla ji
1979	Chambal Ki Raani
1981	Guru Suleman Chela Pahelwan
1981	Khel Muqaddar Ka
1982	Main Intequam Loonga	Ajay Kumar
1982	Rustom	Rustom Mangal Singh
1983	Babul Da Vehra		Punjabi film
1983	Unkhili Muttiar	Mechanic	Punjabi film
1984	Aan Aur Shaan
1985	Mutharamkunnu P.O.	Himself	Malayalam film
1985	Mard	Raja Azaad Singh
1986	Karma	Dharma
1986	Bulekha
1986	Krishna-Krishna	Bhagwan Shri Balram
1986	Ramayan	Hanuman	TV Series
1986	Sajna Sath Nibhana	Joseph
1986	Maaveeran		Tamil film adaptation of Mard.
1988	Maula Jatt	Maula Jatt & Dharma
1988	Paanch Fauladi	Ustadji (Fauladi #1)
1988	Mahaveera	Delar Singh
1988	Mahabharat	Hanuman	TV Series
1989	Shehzaade	Jailor
1989	Elaan-E-Jung	Bheema
1989	Gharana	Vijay Singh Pahelwan
1990	Tera Mera Pyar	Preet's dad
1990	Naaka Bandi	Dharam Singh
1990	Pratigya	Daku Delavar Singh
1990	Sheran De Putt Sher	Subedaar
1991	Dharam Sankat	Dara (the dacoit)
1991	Ajooba	Maharaja Karan Singh
1991	Maut Ki Sazaa	Pyara Singh
1992	Prem Deewane	Loha Singh
1993	Bechain
1993	Anmol	Dara Shamsher, Zafar's father
1994	Karan
1995	Ram Shastra	Police Commissioner
1997	Lav Kush	Hanuman
1997	Main Maa Punjab Dee		Punjabi film
1998	Guru Gobind Singh
1998	Auto Driver		Telugu film
1998	Qahar		Guest appearance
1999	Dillagi	Veer Singh
1999	Zulmi	Baba Thakur
2000	Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge	Sapna's grandfather	Guest appearance
2001	Farz	Tayaji
2002	Shararat	Mr. Gujral
2003	Kal Ho Naa Ho	Chaddha uncle
2003	Border Hindustan Ka	Jamail Singh
2004	Family Business		TV series
2006	Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa	Amardeep Sehgal (Dadaji)	TV series
2006	Dil Apna Punjabi	Hardam Singh
2007	Jab We Met	Geet's grandfather
2012	Ata Pata Lapata	Guest Appearance

As director

Year	Title	Notes
1970	Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar
1973	Mera Desh Mera Dharam
1974	Bhagat Dhanna Jatt
1976	Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun
1978	Dhyanu Bhagat
1978	Bhakti Mein Shakti
1982	Rustom

As producer

Year	Title	Notes
1978	Bhakti Mein Shakti
1994	Karan

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Airplane spin
  • Indian deathlock
• Signature moves
  • Knee drop
  • Body slam
  • Ankle lock
  • Flying tackle
  • Cobra hold
  • Boston crab
  • Mounted punches
  • Headscissors
  • Double axe handle
  • Forearm club
  • Side headlock
  • Knee lift
• Nicknames
  • "Rustam-e-Hind"
  • "Indian He-Man"

Championships and accomplishments

• World Wide Wrestling Association
  • WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
• Maple Leaf Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time)- with Yukon Eric
• Professional Indian Wrestling Championship (1953)
• Commonwealth Championship
• World Wrestling Championship
• Champion of Malaysia (1951)
• Rustam-e-Hind (1954)
• Rustam-e-Punjab (1966)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]