Dara Singh stopped eating non-vegetarian food while shooting for Ramayan, used to recite dialogues in his sleep

When Dara Singh was offered the role of Hanuman by Ramanand Sagar, he was not confident that he was the right choice for the role.

Dara Singh as Hanuman, Arun Govil as Ram and Deepika Chikhalia in Ramayan. (Express archive photo)

Former wrestler and actor Dara Singh entered the drawing rooms of many Indian households with the role of Lord Hanuman in Ramanand Sagar’s epic television series Ramayan in 1987. But when the actor was offered the role by Sagar, he was not confident that he was the right choice for Hanuman.

When Ramanand Sagar approached Singh for the role, he told the director that his body is not in the best form. But, Sagar was adamant about casting Singh. In an old interview on the YouTube channel Bollywood Aaj Aur Kal, Singh narrated in Punjabi, “Sagar Sahab, this is not the age to play Hanuman. Now my body is not as healthy and beefed-up as it should be to play Bajrangbali. He told me, ‘I will take your test and I am sure you will still give your best.’ I did that role and it became such a huge hit. None of us expected it to be so successful.”

Dara Singh’s son, Vindu Dara Singh, had shared his father was so dedicated towards playing the role of Hanuman that he used to murmur his dialogues even in sleep. Also, he stopped eating non-vegetarian food because he was playing Hanuman in the TV series.

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Also read | Ramayan: Look at the show from the moral prism, not religious

In an interview with Koimoi, Vindu narrated, “My dad had stopped eating non-veg when he used to shoot for Hanuman character. After having his breakfast, he used to get ready for his character for an hour. For the entire day, he used to not eat anything. He used to have either coconut water or some juice during lunch.”

He added that Dara Singh removed his makeup and costume only at the end of the day, and after reaching home he would say his dialogues in sleep as well. “My mom used to remind him that there is no shooting going on here,” Vindu shared.

Miss you dad it’s been 10 years but your blessings are always with us all ! pic.twitter.com/CC6TFnWJm5

— Vindu Dara Singh (@RealVinduSingh) July 11, 2022

Before he faced the cameras, Dara Singh received worldwide acclaim as a wrestler. He was addressed as Rustam-e-Hind by many. His last major role was in Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met where he essayed the role of Kareena Kapoor’s grandfather. He passed away on July 12, 2012, after suffering a heart attack.

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