Praveen Kumar Sobti - Mahabharat’s Bheem an Olympian and Asian Games champion

Praveen Kumar Sobti was a man of many talents - a celebrated athlete, a soldier and one of the most recognisable faces in Indian television, particularly for playing Bheem in the long-running Mahabharat television series.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Praveen Kumar Sobti was one of India’s most successful track and field athletes but it was his transition to the silver screen in latter years that made him a household name in India.

Praveen Kumar Sobti, as an athlete, participated in both discus and hammer throw events in what was a distinguished sports career.

He won two gold and one silver medal at the Asian Games in discus throw. In the hammer throw, Praveen Kumar Sobti won a bronze at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok and silver at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston earlier that year.

Praveen Kumar Sobti also represented India at the Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

After calling time on his sports career in the late 1970s, Praveen Kumar Sobti went on to become an actor in the Hindi television and film industry, where he played some iconic roles, like Bheem in Mahabharat, Mukhtaar Singh in Shahenshah and Saaboo in Chacha Chaudhary.

“After leaving sports, I still wanted to be popular and known among my fans. I wanted to be in the limelight. That’s why I opted for cinema,” Praveen Kumar Sobti told the Times of India in 2020.

Sobti earned his break in Bollywood through the film 'Raksha' in 1981 and featured in more than 50 films.

Where is Praveen Kumar Sobti from

Praveen Kumar Sobti was born on December 6, 1947, in Sarhali Kalan, Punjab. He studied at a local school and participated regularly in inter-school competitions. He did his higher studies at Khalsa College in Amritsar.

Growing up, Sobti was really passionate about sports and his parents, especially his father, encouraged him to pursue his passion.

Praveen Kumar Sobti was recruited by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the age of 18 and gained recognition for his impressive athletic skills.

After winning medals at various national events, Sobti represented India at Asian Games, Olympics, and Commonwealth Games among other major events.

Asian Games, CWG and the Olympics

A year after joining the Indian armed forces, Praveen Kumar Sobti made it to the Indian athletics squad for the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

Sobti finished a disappointing eighth in the discus throw event but bounced back to win a silver medal in the hammer throw five days later. He achieved the best throw of 60.12m to clinch India’s second-ever CWG medal in athletics after legendary runner Milkha Singh won gold at Cardiff 1958.

To date, Sobti’s silver remains India’s only medal in the hammer throw at the Commonwealth Games.

A few months later, Praveen Kumar Sobti logged 49.62m, then an Asian record, to win the gold medal in the discus throw. Moreover, a 57.18m effort in the hammer throw earned him a bronze at the same edition.

In 1967, Praveen Kumar Sobti’s achievements were honoured by the Indian government with the Arjuna Award - India’s second-highest award for sportspersons.

He represented India at the Mexico 1968 Olympics but finished 20th with a 60.84m effort in hammer throw. Two years later, Praveen Kumar Sobti defended his discus throw gold medal at the Asian Games 1970 with a 52.32m effort.

Praveen Kumar Sobti’s second outing at the Olympics did not yield any success either as he finished 26th at Munich 1972 with a 53.12m effort in the discus throw. His last major medal on the international stage came at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, where he won silver with a 53.64m attempt in discus throw.

“Film industry has given me a lot. But sports will always be my first love. I still cherish those moments. When you stand on the podium, with the medal hanging around your neck, it is an incredible feeling. Nothing can beat it,” Sobti stated.

Praveen Kumar Sobti acting career

Praveen Kumar Sobti acted in over 50 films, including Raksha, Hum Se Hai Zamana, Loha, Shahenshah, Mohabbat Ke Dushman and others.

He appeared in multiple roles as a henchman or a goon after making a debut in the 1981 film Raksha but gained widespread recognition after playing an antagonist in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Shahenshah in 1987.

His most memorable stint as an actor, however, came when he played the role of Bheem in BR Chopra's epic mythological TV series, Mahabharat.

Standing at a towering 6’6”, Praveen Kumar Sobti’s strong physique perfectly complemented the role of the mighty Bheem, one of the five protagonist Pandava brothers of the Mahabharat.

With the Mahabharat TV serial becoming a daily staple in every Indian household in the 1990s, Sobti became a figure recognised by an entire generation.

“Let’s be honest. People who know you for sports invariably forget,” Praveen Kumar Sobti told The Hindu in 2020.

“After 35-40 years of leaving athletics, those who knew me as an athlete are all either retired or out of sports. But the identity Mahabharat gave me can never be forgotten,” he added.

The television series was rerun on the Doordarshan Bharati channel during the lockdown in 2020 and was one of the most-watched shows on TV in India.

“Children remember me as Bheem. Whenever I go out, they say ‘woh dekho (look there), Bheem uncle, Bheem uncle’. I love it when they call me that,” Sobti said.

After a successful acting career, Praveen Kumar Sobti joined politics in 2013.

The multifaceted personality died on February 7, 2022, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 74 in New Delhi.

Praveen Kumar Sobti medals and achievements

• Asian Games - Gold medal (discus throw -1966, 1970), silver medal (discus throw 1974), bronze medal (hammer throw - 1966) 

• Commonwealth Games - Silver medal (hammer throw - 1966) 

• National Sports Awards - Arjuna Award 1967