Ramayan Trivia: DYK Dara Singh Wouldn't Eat Anything For 9 Hours Due To His Heavy Hanuman Get-up?

Ramanand Sagar’s popular TV show Ramayan has entertained audiences of all ages and across decades. As the much-awaited Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya is ready to celebrate the homecoming of Lord Rama, we revisit one of the intriguing trivia from the cult show.

Dara Singh didn’t eat for nine hours when dressed as Hanuman for the shoot

In an interview with Lehren, Prem Sagar, the son of renowned filmmaker Ramanand Sagar talked about the remarkable dedication and hard work invested in the production of the iconic 1980s show. Reflecting on the challenges faced during the making of the series, Prem particularly praised Dara Singh, who portrayed the role of Hanuman in the show.

He revealed the extraordinary efforts Singh put into his character and sat through a makeup process lasting three to four hours. In the absence of modern prosthetics, meticulous attention was given to matching the appearance with the Hanumanji, tail included. Singh's dedication even had him restricted from eating for nearly nine hours due to the constraints of his makeup.

Prem expressed admiration for this level of commitment and also revealed that Dara Singh had a special stool with a cut for him to sit comfortably with his tail.

Prem Sagar addressed the working style of his father

Prem also provided insight into his father, Ramanand Sagar and said, “Papaji (Ramanand Sagar) worked like a mad man. He would get a scene in his mind at night and change the dialogues. He would tell me to wake up everyone and we would turn on the cameras at four in the morning. It was a 24×7 process.”

Discussing the practical challenges faced, Prem highlighted the complexities of creating the monkey army. Managing the makeup for 500 individuals in the Vaanar Sena was a significant logistical challenge. The makers eventually used dried coconuts to craft mouthpieces for the actors portraying the vaanar sena and portrayed the resourcefulness and innovation they brought on board.