Indian Star Dara Singh Dies

The veteran star suffered a heart attack last week (ends08Jul12) but was sent home from hospital after doctors concluded he had little chance of recovery. He died at home on Wednesday (12Jul12).

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who acted with Singh in 1985 film Mard, paid tribute in a post on his Twitter.com page, writing, "Dara Singh passed away this morning. A great Indian and one of the finest humans... An entire era of his celebrated presence gone!"

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also expressed his sadness at the actor's passing, saying, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Dara Singh, who has been an inspiration and icon to many generations in our country..."

Singh rose to fame as a wrestler, winning a world championship title in 1960, but he also embraced acting and starred in numerous Bollywood films and TV series. He was well known for his action hero roles.

In his later career, Singh tackled politics and was a member of the Indian parliament from 2003 to 2009.