Its a shame if one can not remember Dara Singh, the man who brought to life the Monkey God Hanuman in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan and BR Chopra's Mahabharat. Dara Singh played Hanuman in the show and the former professional wrestler, who made a name for himself in competitions all over the world, left a long-lasting impression on the viewers. Even though the veteran actor passed away in 2012 due to a massive heart attack and brain damage, Dara Singh will always be fondly remembered as Hanuman in the mythological shows, apart from his illustrious career. Ramayan on DD National and Mahabharat on DD Bharati, Here's The Schedule and Telecast Time for The Ramanand Sagar and BR Chopra Mythological Shows on Doordarshan Channels.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar recently announced the return of Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan to television, followed by the announcement that BR Chopra's Mahabharat will also be telecast again.

And Dara Singh's beta Vindu cannot be any happier. In a conversation with BT, Vindu said, "My father played Hanuman thrice — first in the movie Jai Bajrang Bali (1974), then in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and finally in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat. After that, so many actors, including me, played Hanuman on screen, but I don’t think that anyone has been able to connect with masses the way he did. It is a great blessing that after so many years, the show is going to be telecast again." Ramayan Returns To Television: Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia Talk About The Show's Connect With The Masses, Recall Family's Reactions To Watching Them On-Screen.

Revealing that Dara Singh, in his last few days had asked Vindu to replay Ramayan for him, Vindu said, "During his last days, I asked my father if any of his wishes were unfulfilled. After a lot of persuasions, he said, ‘Chal Ramayan laga de,I will watch it again’. He used to watch the show with great interest and finish five episodes in one day, it was one of his last wishes."

Recalling Dara Singh's trials with his Hanuman costume, Vidu revealed, "My father had a tough time playing the character. After getting into the costume, he couldn’t eat anything and would just sip nariyal pani the whole day. Such was his commitment and hard work." Well, we see the results, an unforgettable portrayal and a role remembered for life.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2020 03:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).