Born in Kota, Rajasthan, actor Rituraj Singh began his schooling in Delhi before briefly shifting to America. The actor, who became famous for the gravitas he brought to his roles, began theatre at the early age of 12 after returning to India. He joined Barry John’s TAG (Theatre Action Group) which is also where he met Shah Rukh Khan. The two then struck up a friendship and Singh has also credited Shah Rukh Khan for encouraging him to move to Mumbai and pursue acting.
Speaking of Shah Rukh Khan, Singh had once said to Indian Express, “...this I know, that if God forbid I am in a miserable situation tomorrow, SRK will be the first one to reach out to me.”
When viewers saw both the actors on screen, they would often point out uncanny similarities between the two, to the point that Singh was often referred to as ‘the one who couldn’t become Shah Rukh Khan’. But while SRK is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Rituraj Singh meanwhile made his mark on TV and in the OTT space.
Even though his role as Varun Dhawan’s character’s father Ambarnath Bansal in Badrinath Ki Dulhania is considered to be his breakout role, he first graced our screens in Arundhati Roy’s telefilm In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. The film also starred Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee in minor roles. He became a household name after his stint as the host of the show Tol Mol Ke Bol and his work in Banegi Apni Baat alongside Shefali Shah, R Madhavan, and Irrfan.
Rituraj Singh and Irrfan in a still from Banegi Apni Baat.
(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)
He has been a part of several popular OTT shows including Made In Heaven, Bandish Bandits, Criminal Justice, and Indian Police Force. Most recently, he had joined the cast of the Rupali Ganguly-starrer Anupama. Over the course of his career, Rituraj Singh also starred in shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Diya Aur Baati Hum, and K. Street Pali Hill.
After his demise, several celebrities shared their condolences on social media, remembering him as an ‘amazing actor’ and ‘a warm human’ among other things. Actor Manoj Bajpayee tweeted, “How can this be true Ritz? Why? Such a devastating news to wake up to ! Rest in peace Rituraj my friend! Om Shanti (translated).”
His Kutumb co-star Kavita Kaushik wrote, “Amazing actor, crazy energy, life of a party , My screen father in Kutumb .. learnt so much from him .. Gone too soon Rituraj ... May you find peace and all that you were looking for in another world …”
Actor Rupali Ganguly thanked him for all that she learned from his on the sets of Anupama, “Dear Rituraj Sir, It was an honour to share screen space with you … like an enthusiastic student getting to learn her favorite subject from a teacher who has taught many others , I was overjoyed … You said you had seen my work and yet I wanted to prove to you that I could earn my place in the frame standing next to one of the legends of television whom I had watched growing up … your all knowing smile after our scenes and your words of encouragement was like a report card to me."
"I was thrilled by your kind words … but there was so much more to learn Sir …. These pictures I had taken of you when you wore the chef cap … I was tardy in sending it to you … never thought these would be put up here as a remembrance…. Your life stories ,quirky sense of humour, immense knowledge about world cinema and your talent shall always be remembered. Thank you for being Yashpal Sir to my Anupamaa .. Thank you for the words that left an indelible mark.”Rupali Ganguly on Instagram
Rituraj Singh, who had recently been hospitalised for a pancreatic illness, passed away on 20 January after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 59.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)