Dara Singh, Wrestler-Turned-Actor, Dies at 83

Wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh died at his home in Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday, July 12, 2012. He was 83.

The former wrestling champion had been battling for his life at Kokilaben Hospital for four days. On Wednesday evening, after doctors indicated that little more could be done, his family brought him home — where he passed away surrounded by family.

Dara Singh Randhawa was born in 1928 in Dharmuchak village in Amritsar district, Punjab. He rose to fame first in the wrestling ring: a Commonwealth wrestling champion who toured the world and, by wide acclaim, was never defeated in a professional bout — a record that made him a folk hero across India.

He carried that physical presence into cinema, starring in a string of action films in the 1960s and 70s, often opposite Mumtaz. But for an entire generation, he was something more specific and more beloved: Hanuman. His portrayal of the monkey god in Ramanand Sagar's television epic Ramayan (1987-88) made him a household deity-figure — a role so identified with him that it followed him for the rest of his life.

In later years he served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha (2003-2009), and he remained a revered elder of the film and wrestling worlds until his final illness.

He is survived by his wife and six children, including actor Vindu Dara Singh.