He sorely misses the old days when Mumbai celebrated Baisakhi with great gusto. Baljeet Parmar speaks to Dara Singh about his stint as a wrestler, stardom and the joy that’s gone missing from festivals
He is a wrestler, actor, director, producer, parliamentarian and film industry doyen. At 80, Dara Singh still dons many hats.
Born in a farmer’s family in 1928 in Dharmuchak, a village 25 miles away from Amritsar, Singh maintains his first love is wrestling. “I had a large frame and immediately took to wrestling after my education,” he says.
At 18, he moved to Singapore to hone is skills. Singh still remembers his first Independence Day celebrations in Singapore. ”I went to sleep very late on the 14th night and was woken up by the beat of drums next morning.
I looked out of the window and saw hundreds of Indians dancing on the street. Curious, I rushed outside and learnt that my beloved country was finally independent. I joined the revellers and we danced through the streets all day. I can never forget that moment of pride and joy”.
Singh’s prowess in the akhada is well-known. He has ruled akhadas (wrestling arenas) the world over and became Rustam-E-Hind (national champion) and later Rustam-E-Zaman (world champion).
Ask him about the most memorable moment in his wrestling career, and he points to the gift he received from Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir in 1952. The big, silver cup rests in the drawing room of his airy Juhu flat.
After his successful stint with wrestling, Singh moved on to films and became a household name after his first film King Kong (1962). “I shifted to Mumbai soon after that and never looked back. “Between 1967-68, there were 32 cinema halls in the city which were running some film or the other of mine at the same time,” he says proudly.
Over the years he has acted in more than 150 films and played the lead role in more than 80. He later produced and directed several films in Hindi and Punjabi. And a Malayalam film too about 20 years back — that too was a super hit.
Apart from his career as an actor, Singh also remained active with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association and was elected to the managing committee in 2007. He was president of the All India Jat Samaj around a decade ago and became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 2004. He is also the incumbent president of the Cine and Television Artistes Association.
One look at him and your marvel at his agility. Clearly, he is as fit as he used to be years ago. “I try my best. There is no space for morning or evening walks in the city. But I have bought cycling equipment to keep myself in shape. Even today, I drink water only from an earthen pot — not from a refrigerator,” he says.
Singh believes that fitness is in the mind. “Take life as it comes and celebrate every moment that comes your way. Sadly, people are losing out on celebrations today. I remember, during my childhood, we used to celebrate all festivals, be it Baisakhi, Diwali or Holi.
There used to be melas in villages where the locals put their skills on display. A trip to the Golden Temple was cherished on Baisakhi day. But not any more, in Punjab or here in Mumbai,” he says ruefully.
With Baisakhi around the corner, Singh is obviously feeling nostalgic. “When Prithviraj Kapoor was alive, Baisakhi celebrations were held at Bhulabhai Stadium, Worli. The Punjab Association used to organise a three-day festival at the stadium but now the celebrations are restricted to just one evening in an enclosed auditorium,” he complains.
He remembers how the Kapoors, led by Prithviraj, hosted the celebrations. “Pran saheb and Jairaj saheb used to rehearse a week in advance. The entire Punjabi community of the film industry would come out to help the Punjab Association. In fact, Joginder, of Ranga Khush fame, Narinder Chanchal, Gurdas Maan, Jaspinder Narula and many others were first introducedto the public during Baisakhi celebrations. It was a big platform for newcomers to showcase their talent,” says Singh.
So what does he wish for this Baisakhi? “Life has given me every thing. I just want good health and a peaceful place to spend the rest of my life. I may shift to Chandigarh where I have a studio and visit the Golden Temple this Baisakhi.”
Ask him why is the art of wrestling dwindling in India and he quickly replies, “Because it cannot be learnt through correspondence courses”.
b_parmar@dnaindia.net
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