Rituraj Singh remembered by longtime friend Anup Soni: “He always guided me, never had an attitude of being a senior”

Anup Soni recently remembered him and their longtime friendship which started on TV.

February 23, 2024 - 10:57 AM IST

Bollywood and TV actor Rituraj Singh, known for his versatile performances, passed away at the age of 59. According to a close friend, Amit Behl, Singh succumbed to a cardiac arrest at his residence on February 20. Survived by his wife and two children, Singh leaves behind a legacy of captivating performances across various mediums, earning him recognition and admiration from audiences. Actor Anup Soni recently remembered him and their longtime friendship which started on TV.

Rituraj Singh remembered by longtime friend Anup Soni: “He always guided me, never had an attitude of being a senior”

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Anup Soni said, “It's really shocking that Rituraj is not there. It is really sad and shocking; I am still in disbelief. I didn't know he had a pancreatic illness.” Anup Soni added that he met Rituraj Singh during his time at the National School of Drama. Reflecting on their bond, Anup Soni added, “The connection with Ritz (Rituraj Singh) was pure. I first saw him when I was in my first year of the National School of Drama. He was performing in a play at Shri Ram Centre with Barry John. Rituraj and Manoj Bajpayee were there, and I really loved the play; that's how I remembered him first. When I came to Mumbai, he was already acting in Banegi Apni Baat and many others.”

He added, “I got to do a show called Safar with him [Rituraj Singh]. Me, Irrfan bhai [Irrfan Khan], Ritz, Deepika Deshpande, Kitu Gidwani, and Karan Shah, we all were together. That's where the friendship was initiated with him. I was just starting out and was very new during that time but the others were established by then. I was an absolute newcomer in front of him and he always guided me, never had an attitude of being a senior. We connected well because we both had theatre backgrounds from NSD. The bond was like a guru. He used to tell me, ‘Keep working, kaam karoge toh log dekhenge [If you work, people will watch you]. Senior junior ke baad hum dost hogye the (We became friends after starting off as senior-junior). I never called him sir or anything, always Ritz. We had a really good time, and we used to keep meeting even after that as we had many common friends.”

Renowned for his versatility, Rituraj Singh was remembered for his roles in Anupamaa, Banegi Apni Baat, Hitler Didi, Shapath, Adaalat, and Diya Aur Baati Hum. He was also seen in OTT shows like Bandish Bandits, Made in Heaven, and Indian Police Force. He worked on several Hindi films including Badrinath Ki Dulhania, among others. He will reportedly be seen in posthumously in Baby John.