FREMONT, Ca: His is a personality that even the Greek Gods would not complain about. Dara Singh had fascinated me right from my childhood when I witnessed ‘one of his many fights. To find out and ‘set everything at rest, WSN spoke to him during his recent visit to the USA.

On being asked if he prefers wrestling or films, he replied: “Equally good, but wrestling is my first love, since I do not wrestle, it’s the films”.

Dara has been a wrestling professional for 30 years and amongst his best fights are the All India fight in Bombay ‘in 1954 with “Tiger” followed by the Commonwealth title in Calcutta in 1959 with George Gorvenko, For his world freestyle, he fought against U.S.A’s Louthur in London’s Albert Hall and again in Bombay.

As to the use of drugs by wrestlers today, Dara who has never used drugs said, “Natural foods are better and ‘there is no substitute for a well-balanced and healthy diet. He feels that there is not much reality in today’s fights. All exhibition games are pure mock fights but championship fights, he argues may not always be the case as the prestige of the wrestler is involved. The future is bright “as long as crowds enjoy it”.

In India, especially Punjab, youngsters are busy preparing for next year’s Olympics, Lot of improvements have taken place in the last 1015 years.

In the early 60’s producers approached him and capitalized on his physique. His entry into films heralded him into an absolutely new field for him. On hindsight, it was not a bad risk, as films continue to come handy, even in old age.

‘Dara says that wrestling needs devotion. He exercised in youth almost 8 out of 24 hours. “If your body can ‘expand, it ought to be allowed to”, he says. Once that is done, you need just enough exercise to maintain it”. He centered films, as World Champion ‘wrestling and a novice in acting. In his first film ironically called “King Kong” he starred with Kum Kum. His dialogues in the film were delivered by somebody else as Dara was poor not only in delivering but in acting too.

But today after acting in over 100 films of which 15 are different man, He has lately become producer and director of Punjabi films. “More producers should use the Pun Punjabi, Dara is a Jab’s Landscape” to give authenticity to Punjabi culture. Punjabi films have broken new ground with offbeat films like Chan Pardesi’. A film studio was started by Dara at Mobali in Punjab butt has not made many strides as the red tape of State government involved in petty politics. About two months ago his latest venture “Ankheli Muttiar” was released which is doing well in Punjab. He is a producer and director with a bit role in in the film depicting village life. Wrestling and films have provided him a secure life along with fame, He is doing everything to encourage young wrestlers like Kartar Singh and also the culture ‘of Punjab via films. Dara who looks 5 fit and agile was born 59 years ago in village Tharna Chak near Amritsar.

He sailed to Singapore when he was only 17 and decided to pursue wrest ling. His diet in his heydays consisted of two full chickens, lots of ghee with vegetables, dals, almonds and fruit. Surprisingly he did not consume many rotis. Now a days, he is on normal diet this home in Bombay where he lives with his second wife along with his five children, He still does his exercises and jogging along with yoga. Dara who has seen every aspect of life tells readers of WSN: “If you do not have health, you cannot enjoy life”. His pas time is ghazals and his favorites are Jagjit Singh, Anup Jalota and Ghulam Ali.

Justas he was wishing me goodbye, he recited a few Urdu couplets on Zindagi (life) and Ishk (love):

Zindagi:

Zindagi ek hadsa hey,

Aur kesa hadsa

Maut sey be jis ka,

Sista hota khatam nahin,

Ishk:

Ishk lamehdood jabrak rehega

 Zindagi ka zindagi say

hak adaa hota nayee.

Wah! Wah! Dara’ Singh Ji! You have said it so well, and it did convince me that here is a man who isno longer a wrestler but something much beyond that.

Raj Singh

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 11, 1987