Image was shared on Instagram. (courtesy: riturajksingh)
Actor Rituraj Singh, who died earlier this week following a heart attack, was more than “just a senior”, said actor Anup Soni. Rituraj Singh was 59 at the time of his death. Anup Soni, who is a close friend of Rituraj Singh, spoke about their bond that goes back several decades. In an interaction 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.”
But their friendship took off when the two began to work together, Anup Soni said. “I got to do a show called Safar with him [Rituraj Singh]. Me, Irrfan bhai [late actor Irrfan], 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,” he explained, adding that they met most recently on the sets of the film Satyamev Jayate and bonded over “the good old days”.
Rituraj Singh is known for his work in projects such as Hitler Didi, Adaalat, Diya Aur Baati Hum, Bandish Bandits, Made in Heaven, and the Indian Police Force. He is survived by his wife and two children.
