Praveen Kumar (actor)
| Praveen Kumar | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Praveen Kumar Sobti 6 December 1947 Sarhali Kalan, Punjab, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Film actor, athlete |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
Praveen Kumar (born Praveen Kumar Sobti on 6 December 1947) is an Indian athlete and film actor. He has played the famous character of "Bheem" in BR Chopra's legendary television series "Mahabharat" started in 1988. He has starred in more than 50 Hindi films. He is an Arjuna awardee and star of Indian athletics in the 1960s and the 1970s Asian games. He contested the 2013 Delhi Legislative elections on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket, but lost. Subsequently, in 2014, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Praveen Kumar Sobti was a star of Indian athletics in the 1960s and the 1970s. Being 6'7", he dominated the Indian hammer and discus throws for several years. He became a Double gold medalist in discus throwing in the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games holding the Asian Games record of 56.76 metres. He was a silver medalist in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston and in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran. He competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Praveen Kumar's debut film was Raksha, a James Bond style Indian movie starring Jeetendra with him playing a large henchman Gorilla inspired by Jaws of The Spy Who Loved Me. He did similar role of large henchman Justin fighting against Jeetendra in Meri Awaz Suno.
Praveen Kumar earned international acclaim when he played the role "Bhim" in B R Chopra's popular mythological tele serial Mahabharata, making him a household name. Praveen Kumar also played the role of "Saaboo" in Chacha Chaudhary (the T.V. series) for a large number of episodes . After the Mahabharata serial, Praveen Kumar got many acting roles in Hindi and regional films, though he is cutting down on his acting career, in able to launch his political career in Haryana and Delhi.
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