The Doordarshan television series Ramayan, aired from 1987 to 1988 and based on the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic, featured Arun Govil as Lord Ram, Dipika Chikhlia as Sita, Arvid Trivedi as Ravana, and Dara Singh as Lord Hanuman. One of the most successful shows in Indian television history, Ramayan was created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar.
In a recent interview, Dara Singh's son Vindu Dara Singh has revealed that the wrestler-actor had initially refused to play Lord Hanuman in the classic series as he thought that he might be too old to play the part and people would laugh at him. Dara Singh was 59 when Ramayan was shot.
Speaking to the popular YouTuber Siddharth Kannan, Vindu Dara Singh said, "Ramanand Sagar had decided that he wanted to take my father in the role of Hanuman. So, my father told me that we have to say no to this role. He said, ‘I can’t do this role in this age because people will laugh.'"
The Bigg Boss 3 winner then recalled how when he and his father went to Ramanand Sagar's home to refuse the role, the director convinced the late actor to play Lord Hanuman. He added, "We went to his house and the whole family was sitting on the table. Ramanand Sagar told my father, ‘Dara get ready.’ My father said, ‘Paaji koi young ladke ko le lo, main nahi kar sakta Hanuman ji is umar mein. Main varjish bhi nahi karta (Take a young boy for the role of Hanuman ji. I don’t even have a body-building routine anymore)."
"Ramanand Sagar told my father that you can’t ignore God’s order. He said that he got a dream in which he saw Arun Govil in the role of Lord Ram, Dipika Chikhlia in the role of Sita and my father in the role of Lord Hanuman. He said, ‘Now this is God’s order, you can't say no'", he further added.
Before Ramayan, Dara Singh had essayed the role of Lord Hanuman in the 1976 film Bajrangbali. The 83-year-old actor was also seen in multiple famous films such as Mera Naam Joker, Mard, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Jab We Met amongst others.
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