Great Khali – The man who shattered boundaries

In a country which worships cricketers and movie stars, it is difficult to capture the people’s imagination and replace these stars.

As it has been for the past three decades, cricketers and Bollywood stars have found unparalleled love and devotion, and have been at the helm of everyone’s interest list. Being put on the same shelf as them was something no one could even imagine, but one person changed all that. Within a couple of months, this certain individual became the most talked about personality in India, and has since been one of the most popular stars in the country.

The Great Khali

There was a point when all the channels wanted to get his interview, and all the cricketers and movie stars wanted to dine with him! With the biggest of names in the country vying to just have a conversation with this certain person, it was evident that he had shattered the glass ceiling; he did what no one else was able to do, and became one of the biggest names in the country, and also in the world!

There are very few superstars who have had the opportunity to create shock waves during their debut. From the Nexus to The Shield, there have been performers who grabbed the attention of the wrestling industry right from the very start. The biggest, however, was when this certain superstar attacked the biggest name in pro wrestling history, The Undertaker.

As the Undertaker took on Mark Henry, a gigantic superstar made his way nonchalantly into the ring, and laid waste to The Undertaker. In the past, there was no one who had dominated the phenom quite like The Great Khali did, during his very first night on the main roster. This resulted in Khali becoming a megastar overnight, and along with his name, he also put India on the map in professional wrestling circuit.

The Great Khali was the first Indian to be signed by the biggest entertainment organization in the world – the WWE. Khali’s biggest moment in his professional wrestling career came when he won the prestigious World Heavyweight championship in ’07, and became an icon in India. His stake skyrocketed in the country, with various news channels covering his bouts.

WWE wrestler The Great Khali with family members of a CRPF martyrs, who were killed in Dantewada, during Veer Rajiv Gandhi Bravery Awards function organised on the occasion of Anti Terrorism Day in New Delhi on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. (Photo by Parveen Negi/India Today Group/Getty Images).

I remember Khali participating in the battle royal of WrestleMania 24, which was covered by Indian news channels! In a year’s time, Khali was put on the same pedestal as the Tendulkars and Shah Rukh Khans, with all of them fighting for the opportunity to meet the mammoth superstar!

The Great Khali was the answer to WWE’s question of finding a face to cater to the Indian fan base, and WWE completely utilized the exposure Khali received from the Indian media. Khali was also featured in four Hollywood films, and in two Bollywood films! He also guest starred on a Disney XD show, “Pair of Kings”. Within a short time, The Great Khali became one of the biggest superstars in the world, and paved the way for others to follow in his footsteps.

While Khali hasn’t been in the main event scene for quite a while in the WWE, he has done enough to put India on the map in the wrestling circuit. It can be argued that Khali opened the doors for professional wrestling to enter into the Indian market, with South African and North American promotions opening their bases in India.

Although wrestling fans don’t acknowledge Khali to be a “good wrestler”, there is little doubt in anyone’s mind that he had done the impossible, and created interest about professional wrestling in India. Finally there was an alternative for the fans, other than cricket or Bollywood. Khali had shattered the boundaries, and became a megastar in his own right.