Tribute to a gentle soul

Rishi Kapoor has paid his respect to the late Dara Singh on his birth anniversary and described him as the “the most humble, kind and affectionate man on planet Earth”.

On Tuesday morning, Rishi Kapoor tweeted; “Happy Birthday Dara ji Singh saheb. Had the pleasure of seeing him wrestle “Sky Hi Lee” live in Mumbai and work in a couple of films. The most humble, kind and affectionate man on planet Earth. A phrase was coined- “Apne aap ko Dara Singh samajhta hai?” What a tribute to the legend!” 

Commenting on the tweet, a fan of Rishi Kapoor recalled a few movies where Dara Singh has worked and wrote: “Mera Naam Joker, Ajooba and Gharana... I can remember Sir”.

Rishi Kapoor replied to the comment adding a few more names and wrote, “Zahreela Insaan, Jhoota Kahin Ka, Aan Aur Shaan, Anmol and worked in our production Mera Naam Joker, Dharam Karam as far as I can remember”. Dara Singh was born Deedar Singh Randhawa on November 19, 1928, in Punjab’s Amritsar district. A professional wrestler, Dara Singh also gained immense popularity as an actor. He also forayed into politics later in his career. He worked actively in films till he breathed his last in July 2012. — IANS

Government should recognise contribution of artistes: Rishi

Actor Rishi Kapoor says it is important to recognise the role of artistes and cinema in the country as they have contributed immensely to its cultural, financial growth. The 67-year-old actor completes 50 years in the industry next year. Asked whether he looked at his career with fulfilment, Rishi said, “That is something the people have to say. I don’t. But I have to wait for you people to say that this man has been working for 50 years, but no one does that (talk about contribution). The government doesn’t. That’s the tragedy. The government changes but this sadness remains.” PTI