Daljit Sean Singh | Alcoholic to a Fitness Inspiration

Daljit Sean Singh became a fitness model in his forties, but not before he had been to rehab for alcoholism thrice, been sent to a lockup in Atlanta, and also lived as a homeless man on the streets of that city, as well as Washington DC. His iconic silver-grey hipster beard, an accessory he admits has led to his success in the modeling world, gave him roles in Kill Dil, Omerta, and Padmavat. I knew that I could pull off the trickiest of fashion looks. I started off late, but I have got a fabulous response,” said Singh in an interview.

A while ago, Aamir Khan’s fans were blown away when his ‘first look’ from Thugs Of Hindostan went viral. Everyone was marvelling about the incredible transformation and how he looked unrecognisable, but later the air was cleared when the real man came into the light. Those were actually Daljit’s pictures but we can’t deny the fact that for a moment even we were in a dilemma.

Daljit, son of Delhi-based real estate tycoon Mohinderjit Singh, builder of massive constructions like the Nike Town in Boston and Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi.

Daljit’s great-grandfather, Sardar Bahadur Dharam Singh (his ‘beard idol’), was a builder from Punjab who along with Sobha Singh, father of Khushwant Singh, had built Connaught Place and large parts of Lutyens Delhi. Dharam Singh’s beard would inspire his great-grandson to rediscover his Sikh roots and lead to modeling assignments.

Since moving to England with his mother after his parents’ split in 1986, Daljit led a tumultuous life. At 18, he was arrested for stealing the hood ornament from a Mercedes in London. At 21, he became a father, only to leave his son and girlfriend 4 years later and catch a bus ‘away from commitments’. Subsequently, he moved to the US in the late 90s and married in 2002, when alcohol pushed him to contemplate suicide and breal up his marriage four years later. It was at this juncture that Daljit had gone out for a drink and got arrested for assaulting the police officer at the bar.

A string of rehabs in Washington DC, Virginia, and Mumbai changed Daljit and gave him a new lease on life. Starting out as a waiter in Chef Ritu Dalmia’s Diva restaurant, Daljit worked his way into the wedding planning business and started a funeral service called Antim Yatra, where people can book packages for funeral services for a fixed price and don’t have to worry about last rite arrangements while grieving the loss of a near and dear one.

“My experience with death opened my eyes. Why should you even have to worry about where the firewood will come from etc. when someone dies?,” he notes.

In 2008, Daljit Sean Singh married Namrata Mamak in a traditional Punjabi wedding at Kapoor Solar Farms, a farmhouse in Delhi.

“I had watched Monsoon Wedding when I was homeless in Atlanta, just to get some shelter. I thought it’s a desi cinema hall so I’ll find other desis. I didn’t know I’d get married in the same mandap they showed in the film,” he marvels.

Today, Namrata and Daljit live in Delhi with their eight-year-old daughter Keihana and their dog Khichdi.

Now, he is not just into acting but is also a fitness model. 48-year-old Daljit Sean Singh is also a popular choice for ramp and fashion catalogs. Fashion has the least to do with age. He is an inspiration for many & has made it clear that you can turn your life the way you want and age is just a number.