Whenever any Indian needs support to succeed in pro wrestling, I will always be there.
— The Great Khali
I watched wrestling for the first time on television while in Punjab, after which I started working seriously to become a good wrestler.
Dancing along with family members and old friends, especially during a marriage, is a memorable experience.
When I was struggling to get recognition as a wrestler, I faced innumerable hardships. I even slept on the ring itself after finishing my practice. Those days, I did not have a house to live.
Non-resident Indians love me and cough up huge sums of money to watch me fight in the ring.
After intensive body building for eight years, I went to the U.S. for training. There, I learnt the art of wrestling. Later, I went to Japan and joined a wrestling group.
I am from Himachal, but Punjab is my second home, as I have nourished my career from this state only.
I was the first Indian to take on and beat the best in professional wrestling, but I certainly don't want to be the last.
My wife asks me daily to leave wrestling, but I will not leave my favourite sport. I will train others.
Never lose hope under adverse situations.
I try to stick to a vegetarian diet.
Earlier, professional wrestling happened only abroad, but now the youngsters are getting a good platform here in India as well.
As I am well versed in the art of free-style wrestling, I am keen to pass on this art to the coming generation.
There is lots of enthusiasm among youth of Haryana about sports. They have potential in sports.
Politicians will only exploit you for nothing.
I have struggled hard to attain this fame.
In the U.S.A., the fans are passionate and are willing to believe in your character.
I always want young Indians to succeed. Our country has a lot of potential, and it needs to be tapped into.
In order to help the talented Indian wrestlers, I am always ready to talk to them and answer their queries.
I travel nearly 200 to 300 miles a day for my matches and promotions and end up eating junk food, which is not good for me. Things are better when I am at home; my wife is a very good cook, and she makes rice, dal, and chapatis for me.
I trained at All Pro Wrestling in the U.S. Later, I signed up with the New Japan Pro Wrestling. Then WWE noticed me.
I am overwhelmed by the love showered on me by my fans.
WWE was far more tougher than working for a film where you could take a shot and go and rest in the trailer, but for WWE, one had to exercise, eat well, fight, and even deal with injuries.
Everybody wants to see a film made on them... But it's not like I will die of hunger if it's not made.
There is not much awareness about fitness in India, unlike other countries. We don't get too many medals at Olympics; one of the reasons is we don't have that culture of fitness in India. That is why we decided to start this chain of gyms under my name.
Had the WWE fights were artificial and pre-scripted, there would have been no need for wrestlers like The Great Khali and The Undertaker. You cannot fool thousands of people crammed into a stadium and sitting four to five feet away from you in the ring.
There is no dearth of talent in India, and it is going to be the force to reckon with in world wrestling in future.
You can't share things about India with Americans, as they don't seem interested. Their culture is different.
I want to tell the youth that we should not do drugs.
Years ago, I was a nobody. Now, I am a face recognized almost across the world.
It's the small things that will make you successful.
My mind was inclined to work and to support my parents.
I was an unknown face before I joined the WWE.
It is a magical feeling to perform for 50,000 people. You decide when they cheer and when they are quiet. It's like you have them under your control.
I left India for U.S. with Rs 2,000 only in hand, where I have gone through some very difficult times before entering into wrestling.
India has plenty of talent. If they are imparted with proper training, the country will surely produce scores of wrestlers, better than me. I want more and more Indians to participate in the game.
On flights, I cannot travel economy class, as I am too huge to fit into that space. I always have to travel business class.
Even when I was employed with the Punjab Police, I was into body-building.
I drink a lot of milk and exercise a lot.
Haryana is one state that loves combat sports. In fact, majority of the kids who learn wrestling from me are from Haryana.
It would be good if there is a biopic on me. But even if there is no biopic, then also it's fine.
One day, I happened to see a WWE match and thought I could easily do all of that.
The wrestling is real, all the injuries are real, so much so that in no other sports, whether soccer or cricket or hockey, players get so many injuries as in WWE.
You won't get my kind of body if you eat junk food.
I am only scared of God.
I play to bring honor to India's name abroad, and I feel very proud when I am beating up white wrestlers.
Punjab has given me so much.
Olympic wrestling is like using an old Nokia phone; it's fairly basic.
I used to sleep on floors and face racial abuse.
The hardest thing about the WWE is the travel.
