Praveen Kumar Sobti was an Indian actor, politician and hammer and discus thrower. He is best known for playing the role of ‘Bheem’ in the Indian epic television series “Mahabharata” (1988). He died of cardiac arrest in February 2022.
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Wiki/Biography
Praveen Kumar was born on Saturday, 6 December 1947 (age 74 years at the time of death) in Sarhali Kalan, Punjab. Their zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He did his schooling in a government school in Sarhali Kalan. While in school he started participating in inter-school games. When his sports teacher saw his strength in sports, he started sending him to zonal and state level sports events. He was so good at sports that his name came up for disc throw in the 1966 Commonwealth Games.
Praveen Kumar in his younger days
Physical Appearance
Height (approx): 6′ 6″
Hair Color: Gray
Eye colour: brown
family and caste
Praveen Kumar Sobti belonged to a Hindu family. He had 4 brothers and 1 sister. He was married at the time of his death. His son is an employee in India’s Jet Airways. His daughter Nipunika Sobti was once engaged to Akshay Kumar.
sports career
Praveen started his career as an Indian hammer and discus thrower in the 1960s. Being tall, he dominated the game for many years. In 1966 he won the gold medal in the Asian Games. The same year, he won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston. Kumar again won the gold medal at the 1970 Asian Games and the silver medal at the 1974 Tehran Asian Games. He also has a record of 56.76 meters in his name in the Asian Games. He competed in the Summer Olympics twice, first in 1968 and again in 1972.
Praveen Kumar with his gold medal at the 1966 Asian Games
Film and television career
Praveen started his film career in 1981 with the Bollywood film “Raksha”, in which he played the role of ‘Gorilla’ (a big henchman, inspired by Jaws of the Spy Who Loved Me). He also played a similar role in the film “Meri Awaaz Suno”. In 1988, he gained immense popularity by playing the role of “Bheem” in BR Chopra’s popular TV series “Mahabharata”. After this, he played the role of ‘Sabu’ in the TV series “Chacha Chaudhary”. Later, he appeared in several Hindi and regional films such as “Laurie,” “Hum Hain Lajawaab,” “Zabardast,” “Adhikaar,” “Raat Ke Baad,” “Tera Karam Mera Dharam,” and “Aaj Ka Arjun” .
Praveen Kumar as Bheem in Mahabharata
political career
Kumar started his political career by joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013. In the same year, he contested the Delhi Assembly elections from Wazirpur constituency, but lost.
Praveen Kumar as AAP member
Subsequently, he left AAP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
Praveen Kumar as BJP member
Favorite
- Food: Mutton, Chicken, Fish Fry
Death
He died of cardiac arrest on 7 February 2022 at his residence in Ashok Vihar, New Delhi. Reportedly, the actor had a chronic problem of chest infection.
Facts/General Knowledge
- He loved watching movies and travelling.
- He followed a non-vegetarian diet.
- Praveen was a former soldier recruited in the Border Security Force. Based on his excellence in sports, he achieved the post of ‘Deputy Commandant’ in BSF.
- Kumar is among the 12 BSF soldiers who received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India.
Praveen Kumar received the Arjuna Award in 1967
- He was introduced to the BSF in 1973 by Ashwini Kumar, India’s representative to the International Olympic Council.
- In 2009, during an interview with The Hindu, Praveen recalled his days as an athlete. Comparing it with the current scenario, he said,
I wanted my parents to be proud of my achievements and represent the country in hammer and discus throw in the Asian Games and Olympics. I won gold medals in discus throw in the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games. I won a silver medal in the Asian Games in Tehran in 1974.”
he adds,
There was a lot of harmony and there was no threat of terrorists. However, everything changed at the Munich Olympics in 1972. I remember well that I was going to the dining room to have breakfast when I heard some gunshots. “Later my coach told me that some terrorists had entered.”
- Praveen shared in an interview that he used to wake up at 3 in the morning in his teenage years and train his body by lifting millstones, which his mother used to grind grains. In those days there was no gym in his area.
Praveen Kumar One of the most successful and famous punch dialogues of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, “Rishte mein to hum tumhare baap hote, naam hai shahenshah!” Was the first hit actor. From the movie ‘Shahenshah’.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn