Image tweeted by Sanjoy K Roy. (courtesy: SanjoyKRoy)
Actor Rituraj Singh died on Tuesday [February 20] following a cardiac arrest. He was 59. After his death, several throwback images of the actor with superstar Shah Rukh Khan have gone viral on social media. Rituraj Singh and SRK were part of Barry John's TAG (Theatre Action Group) in the 1990s. Now, offering context to one of the viral images is Sanjay Roy of Teamwork Arts, who was also part of the group at the same time and has worked with both actors. In the black-and-white image, while Rituraj Singh, Divya Seth and Sanjay Roy are seated around a tree on the platform, SRK is seen standing, looking at something he is holding. A stationary train forms the backdrop of the picture. Sharing the viral image, Sanjay Roy wrote, “This photo keeps doing the rounds. Poignant today as news spreads of the passing of film, TV, theatre actor #Rituraj The photograph taken by Amar Talwar has @iamsrk in the foreground, Divya Seth and me, and #Rituraj in the background. We were enroute to cal [Kolkata] with Rough Crossing.”
Replying to the post, author William Dalrymple, “Love this photo…” Several others offered their condolences.
Another picture doing the rounds on the internet also features Shah Rukh Khan with Rituraj Singh, Divya Seth and Deepika Amin. The photo was originally shared by Rituraj Singh on the occasion of Shah Rukh Khan's birthday in 2022. The late actor had written, “Another amazing photograph taken by @amarthetalwar during our fabulous TAG Days. Happy Birthday @iamsrk. Lots of love.”
The same image was also shared by Rituraj Singh in 2019 as part of a collage, with the caption: “Four Musketeers before their dreams came true & they moved to ( the then Bombay ( now) Mumbai. on a train (of thought) acting in TAG: Theatre Action Group.”
Rituraj Singh had once stated that it was Shah Rukh Khan who encouraged him to move to Mumbai for work. Speaking to Indian Express, he had said, “We could fit into each other's clothes because of the same body structure. We were real thick buddies, and those were the best days of my life. I came to Mumbai to act at his insistence. He [SRK] would come to Delhi and tell me, ‘What are you doing here? Come, let's go to Mumbai. You're such a good actor.'”
Rituraj Singh is best known for his work in projects such as Anupamaa, Jyoti, Adaalat, Diya Aur Baati Hum, Bandish Bandits, Made in Heaven, and Indian Police Force, among others.