Unfortunately, Rituraj Singh, a well-known actor, died of cardiac arrest on February 20, 2024, at the age of 59. The actor was discharged from the hospital after being treated for a stomach ailment. However, his health deteriorated last night, and he suffered a heart attack at home.
Do you know that this Bollywood/TV actor has had a long and strong association with Shah Rukh Khan dating back to his days in theatre? King Khan and Rituraj were members of Barry John’s Theatre Action Group (TAG), and they both enjoyed performing.
After Rituraj Singh’s death, a throwback photo of him with Shah Rukh Khan and other theatre group members has gone viral, revealing their strong bond.
This black-and-white photograph shows Rituraj Singh with SRK, Sanjoy K. Roy, and Divya Seth on their way to Kolkata to play ‘Rough Crossing’ in support of Shruti, as taken by Barry John. According to reports, this vintage photograph is from the 1980s.
Rituraj Singh claimed in an old interview that Shah Rukh Khan inspired him to relocate to Mumbai and follow his dream of being an actor. He also stated that he never contacted SRK for movie job since he did not want to take advantage of their friendship.
“We used to discuss many things about life. At that age, you are just filled up with everyday stuff and there is an everyday high. We used to rehearse together and play football, among other things. Somewhere down the line, he got the feeling that acting is something that his life is all about and thank God it happened, or else, we wouldn’t have had a magnet of a miraculous star today,” he had said according to Indian Express.
Rituraj had also stated that they were “thick mates” who frequently shared clothes: “We could fit into each other’s outfits since we have the similar physical structure. We were really close friends, and those were the happiest days of my life.”
Rituraj Singh was well-known for his roles in television shows such as ‘Banegi Apni Baat’, ‘Tehkikaat’, ‘Kutumb’, ‘Jyoti’, ‘Beintehaa’, and the most recent ‘Anupamaa’. He also appeared in the movie Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Yaariyan 2.