Wrestler, Actor and Politician. Started his career as a wrestler in India, practicing a type of wrestling called Pehlwani. In 1953, he won India's Professional Indian Wrestling Championship and subsequently won the World Wrestling championship in 1968, defeating six-time world champion Lou Thesz of the United States for the title. He also wrote, directed and produced Hindi and Punjabi films. The 140 plus films in which he performed included Faulad, Sangdil (1952), Sher Dil (1965), Toofan (1969), Mard (1985), Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000), Jab We Met (2007) and Jagga, for which he won the Best Actor Award presented by Indira Gandhi of the Government of India. He also appeared in a number of TV serials, his most notable performance being his portrayal of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman in the 1986 Indian TV series "Ramayan." From 2003 to 2009, he served as a member of India's upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, for India's Hindu nationalist opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Wrestler, Actor and Politician. Started his career as a wrestler in India, practicing a type of wrestling called Pehlwani. In 1953, he won India's Professional Indian Wrestling Championship and subsequently won the World Wrestling championship in 1968, defeating six-time world champion Lou Thesz of the United States for the title. He also wrote, directed and produced Hindi and Punjabi films. The 140 plus films in which he performed included Faulad, Sangdil (1952), Sher Dil (1965), Toofan (1969), Mard (1985), Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000), Jab We Met (2007) and Jagga, for which he won the Best Actor Award presented by Indira Gandhi of the Government of India. He also appeared in a number of TV serials, his most notable performance being his portrayal of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman in the 1986 Indian TV series "Ramayan." From 2003 to 2009, he served as a member of India's upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, for India's Hindu nationalist opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Bio by: Thousandwinds
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