India celebrates every festival with style and grandeur, thanks to its rich culture and heritage. What glorifies it even more are television serials and movies. Speaking of festivals, April 23 marks Hanuman Jayanti. On this auspicious day, we commemorate the birth of Lord Hanuman.

For the uninitiated, Hanuman was a monkey god who was a religious devotee of Lord Ram and played a crucial role in the Hindu mythological saga, the Ramayana. He is often worshipped as a symbol of strength and selflessness.

To bring people closer to our history, Ramanand Sagar introduced us to the Ramayana through his iconic TV serial and narrated the saga of truth triumphing over evil in a rather relatable way.

Hanuman Jayanti Special: When Dara Singh refused to play Lord Hanuman in the Ramayana

Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana used to stream every Sunday on Doordarshan and had a huge fan base, so much so that the streets observed a curfew as people were glued to their TV screens. Many prominent actors worked on the show, thus making them synonymous with their characters.

One of the most-loved characters was Lord Hanuman, played by the legendary actor Dara Singh. However, did you know he refused to play the part initially?

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In a recent interview, the actor's son, Vindu Dara Singh, opened up about how his father thought he wasn't the right fit for the role because he was too old and people would mock him. Dara Singh was 59 when Ramayana was shot.

Speaking to YouTuber Siddharth Kannan, Vidhu said, "Ramanand Sagar had decided that he wanted to take my father in the role of Hanuman. So, my father told me that we had to say no to this role. He said, 'I can't do this role at this age because people will laugh.'"

How Ramanand Sagar convinced Dara Singh to play Hanuman

The Bigg Boss 3 winner then recalled how he and his father went to Ramanand Sagar's residence to refuse the part. However, the director convinced the late actor that he was the perfect fit.

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"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," Vidhu Dara Singh recalled.

He further added, "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."

Before Ramayana, Dara Singh had essayed the role of Lord Hanuman in the 1976 release of Bajrangbali. The late actor was seen in several movies like Mera Naam Joker, Jab We Met, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Mard, among others.

Radio City wishes you a very happy Hauman Jayanti.