The news of the unexpected demise of the renowned TV actor Rituraj Singh has left his huge fan following and fellow celebrities in shock. After many of his celebrity-friends took to social media to pen a note or pay homage to the late actor, his long-time friend Anup Soni warmly reminisced about their decades-long connection. He expressed his sorrow over Singh’s passing, shocked and surprised upon getting to know about his pancreatic illness. His voice was shaking throughout as he shed light on their enduring friendship.
“It’s really shocking that Rituraj is not there. It is really sad and shocking; I am still in disbelief.”
“The connection with Ritz (Rituraj Singh) was pure. I first saw him when I was in my first year of 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,” Soni reflected, as per Hindustan Times.
Their venture into the acting realm flourished together when they both went to Mumbai. Soni reminisced about their work together on the show ‘Safar,’ where they worked alongside the late actor Irrfan Khan, Deepika Deshpande, Kitu Kitwani, and Karan Shah. It was during this time that their friendship truly developed.
But Singh was more than a friend to Soni; he was like a mentor. Reflecting on Singh’s mentorship and companionship, the 49-year-old actor conveyed deep appreciation for his guidance. “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 said, adding, “He used to tell me, ‘Keep working, because if you work, people will watch you.’”
Anup Soni highlighted that beyond the senior-junior dynamic, they grew into becoming close friends. “We had a really good time.” The friendship they share, spanning many years, will always be special to Soni.
