Asian Games Retrospective: The Double-Gold Medallist In…
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a two-time Asian Games track-and-field champion?
A superb sportsperson, a splendid athlete, or maybe a legendary champion definitely not an actor, right? Well, Praveen Kumar Sobti was like Hold On!!
Born into a humble family in Sarhali Kalan village in Punjab in 1947, Praveen Kumar Sobti had just finished his school examinations when he traveled to Kingston as part of the Indian contingent for the 1966 Commonwealth Games. He was asked to take things easy, have fun, and return home. So he decided to add a silver medal in the hammer throw to the mix, the only Indian Commonwealth Games medal ever won in that event to date, and only the country's second athletics medal at the Games after Milkha Singh's legendary gold at Cardiff eight years earlier.
A few months later, Praveen went one step further, capturing gold in the discus throw at the Bangkok Asian Games with a games record distance of 49.62 m. He returned from that campaign with another medal as well, a bronze in the hammer throw. Four years later, he successfully defended his discus title in the same city.
The 1974 Asian Games in Tehran saw him win his final major international medal, a silver in the discus, after narrowly losing out to local favorite Jalal Keshmiri, whom he had pipped for gold on both previous occasions. Beyond his Asian Games dominance, he also proudly represented India at two editions of the Olympic Games, Mexico City (1968) and Munich (1972).
From the BSF to B-Town
Standing at a gigantic 6'7", Praveen Kumar Sobti joined the newly formed Border Security Force (BSF) at a very young age. It didn't take long for his imposing physique and athletic ability to catch attention first within the force and later from renowned filmmaker Ravikant Nagaich, who offered him his first cinematic break in the 1982 film Raksha.
He gained widespread attention playing the semi-comedic antagonist Mukhtar Singh opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the 1988 blockbuster Shahenshah. Remember the iconic dialogue, "Rishte Mein Toh Hum Tumhare Baap Hote Hain, Naam Hai Shahenshah"? Mukhtar Singh was the very first character on the receiving end of it.
However, his acting career truly took off later that year when he was cast as Bheem, the role he seemed perfectly built for, in BR Chopra's epic television series, Mahabharat. The phenomenal success of the long-running series instantly made him a household name across India. It not only opened the door to several memorable roles in the years that followed, including the beloved Sabu in the live-action Chacha Chaudhary series, another character he seemed equally well suited for, but also led to his on-screen identity eventually overshadowing his remarkable sporting achievements.
The 1967 Arjuna Award recipient later tried his hand at politics in the early 2010s but couldn't quite replicate the success he had achieved in the other fields. He passed away in 2022 following a cardiac arrest at the age of 74, leaving behind a legacy that was, quite literally, as towering as the man himself.
While generations of Indians continue to remember him as the mighty Bheem, Praveen Kumar Sobti's place in Indian sporting history was secured long before he ever stepped in front of a camera.
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