Dara Singh Pehalwan, Actor

Dara Singh Pehalwan (November 19, 1928 – July 12, 2012) was an Indian wrestler, film and television actor, director, producer, and member of Rajya Sabha. Millions of people were motivated into bodybuilding from Dara Singh; he was a handsome well-built body wrestler. He was encouraged to take up Pehlwani since an early age. As an adult, he was 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighed 127 kilograms and had chest measurement 53 inches, biceps 18 inches, and waist 38 inches. He won Rustam-e-Hind in 1954 by defeating Joginder Singh Tiger, Commonwealth Championship in 1959 in Calcutta, and World Championship in 1968 held in Bombay. He made Dara Studio at phase 6 Mohali in 1978. Dara Singh was the President of Jat Mahasabha.

Dara Singh was born in a Punjabi Jat Sikh family as Deedar Singh Randhawa to Surat Singh Randhawa and Balwant Kaur on November 19, 1928 in the village Dharmuchak, Amritsar, Punjab. He went 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. Due to his physique, he was encouraged to take up traditional Indian style wrestling, in which he trained for several years. After switching to professional wrestling, he competed around the world with opponents such as Bill Vena, Firpo Zbyszko, Johan Da Silva, Rikidozan, Danny Lynch, and Ski Hi Lee. In July 2012, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died on July 12, at his home in Mumbai. A statue was erected in his honour at phase 6 Mohali, Punjab next to his film studio, Dara Studio. Dara Singh was a popular wrestler- turned actor who had never lost a single wrestling match in his career of 500 matches and he was known as the Ironman of India cinema.

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