As tributes poured in from far and wide, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Dara Singh has been an inspiration and icon to many generations in the country and a self educated "son of the soil" who rose to the heights of the entertainment world, sports arena and public life with humility and grace.
The sentiments of the Bollywood industry were aptly summed up by Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who said it was the end of an era. Bachchan played Singh's son in 1985 action film "Mard".
"Wrestlers are made of sweat, determination and a hard to find alloy called guts... Most apt for Dara Singhji our very own Superman", Actor Shah Rukh Khan said.
"RIP Rustam-e-Hind. The strong man of India will be miss dearly," Madhur Bhandarkar posted while Shirish Kunder tweeted, "RIP Dara Singh ji... The Original Indian Super Hero!."
Director Imtiaz Ali, who cast Singh as a stern but lovable grandfather of Kareena Kapoor in 'Jab We Met', said, "It's a great loss."
Calling Singh a multifaceted personality, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said a void has been created in the Indian film industry which is difficult to be filled. Singh hailed from Punjab.
BJP veteran L K Advani said Singh had left an indelible mark in the field of acting and wrestling. Singh was a BJP MP of Rajya Sabha and served a six-year term from August 2003.
Advani's colleague and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj hailed Singh as a legend in his life time.
Applauding Singh's acting skills, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said he was very down-to-earth even after becoming a popular actor.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said Indian wrestling has lost a guide and a mentor.
"Dara Singh's rise to fame attracted youths to this game and gave them a sense of self belief. Indian wrestling will miss the genial giant," said IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra.
