Did You Know Actor Praveen Kumar, Who Played Bheem In Mahabharat Was An Award-Winning Athlete?
Actor Praveen Kumar Sobti, who played Bhim in B.R Chopra's Mahabharat, breathed his last on Monday night. The actor passed away following a heart attack.
Actor Praveen Kumar Sobti, who played Bhim in B.R Chopra's Mahabharat, breathed his last on Monday night. The actor passed away following a heart attack. Tributes have been pouring from all over India for the actor. But did you know that Praveen Kumar was a man with more than one talent?
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Praveen was awarded three Asian Games medals, one in the Commonwealth, and a two-time Olympics participant in track and field, an achievement that truly makes him a sports legend.
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But being an award-winning athlete never made him as famous as playing an iconic character in Maharabhat did.
The actor played Bheem in Doordarshan¡¯s magnum opus by B. R. Chopra.
Mahabharat found its way into the audience's hearts and television sets in lockdown 2020.
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Doordarshan successfully made India relive those old days when Dekh Bhai Dekh, Ramayan, and Mahabharat became dinner table conversations in Indian households.
In May 2020, the actor had spoken about his life and journey in an interview with The Hindu.
¡°Even those in their 30s would have just been born then. Those in their 40s would have seen it as just another serial. Now they see it with a completely different perspective and understanding of the screens incidents. The love and affection across age groups are amazing."
The sportsman-turned-actor revealed how people recognized him as Bhim even decades later and not by his real name Praveen.
Thanking Mahabharat for giving him an identity that was hard to forget, he added,
¡°Let¡¯s be honest. People who know you for sports invariably forget. After 35-40 years of leaving athletics, those who knew me as an athlete are either retired or out of sports. But the identity Mahabharat gave me can never be forgotten.¡±
There is another exciting story involved with his casting for the show. According to reports, the casting team had spotted and offered a role during one of his competitions in Kashmir.
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