Book Review : Deedara aka Dara Singh by Seema Sonik Alimchand Rating ****

Dara Singh was my childhood hero. I have seen him in many cinemas of 60’s and 70’s and the famous Ramayan on Doordarshan. He was a legendary personality and a perfect character to perform as Hanuaman in the serial Ramayan. I was eager to know about his life so decided to read this book. I saw him last struggling to walk due to old age in TV show comedy circus and was shocked. I couldn’t believe that once a superman is crippled like this. Although his survival till his 80’s prove that fitness helps you to live longer.

The author have written this book after his death and largely dependent on his autobiography in Punjabi and interviews with his relatives and friends. The book would have been better if it was written before his death interviewing himself. The book is written properly and the language is lucid. The author have written it in short and avoided unnecessary details. Also the book is about the good of the Dara Singh’s life and no bad side or controversy is dealt with. It did not mention that more than 90 percent of wrestling matches are only entertainment show and are well scripted in advance and people think that real fight is going on.

Overall the book is a good and informative and gives a good details about life and times of our super hero the great Dara Singh.