For actor Varun Badola, the news of his Banegi Apni Baat (BAB) fellow actor Rituraj Singh’s death left him in a state of shock as he says Singh was more than just a colleague for him. “Even my wife did not break the news to me. I knew Rituraj as more than a co-actor. It’s shocking, too close for comfort,” says Badola, who received the tragic news a little late as he was travelling.

“I have seen Rituraj’s popularity and stardom. Sometimes, when someone departs, your world suddenly shrinks for unknown reasons,” adds Badola remembering Singh, who died of a cardiac arrest on February 20.

Though Badola and Singh appeared in separate tracks of the cult ’90s show, he got introduced to Singh post his stint in BAB. “It was a landmark show and Rituraj was the hero. We met at its after-parties and he was a huge [star] at that time. His stardom wasn’t restricted to TV. He was a global person, quite a live wire and one of the most promising actors who entered the industry at that time,” recalls Badola, 50.

Surprisingly, the actor’s favourite performance of Singh was from his theatre days. “Rituraj was already popular when (actor) Shah Rukh Khan joined Barry John’s theatre group. He did an English play titled Lend Me A Tenor. It was pretty flawless, and he was brilliant in it,” Badola concludes.

“I am sure everyone will remember his bright smile,” reminisces Vaquar Shaikh about actor Rituraj Singh, 59, who passed away early Tuesday morning after a heart attack. The two began their association from 1993 with the show, Banegi Apni Baat.

“He was much senior to me when I joined Banegi Apni Baat. He was already a star, and we were besotted by him and his performance. Here was a guy, who had just entered the industry, yet he was already doing game shows, movies, and TV shows. We all looked up to him,” says Shaikh, adding that it was not just his performance, but the way Singh conducted himself among his peers and juniors that won hearts.

“He never let me feel like a newbie on set. I remember having friendly banter and rehearsing lines on set with him. Ritz was always up for [rehearsals], and often gave us tips on how to perform. He was an extremely knowledgeable guy. Ask him about cinema, politics, the camera, acting, method acting, or anything happening in the world, he was well-updated. He had the gift of the gab, was spontaneous, and full of energy.”

However, what Shaikh admired the most about his close friend was that despite more than three deacdes in the industry, Singh continued to challenge himself and take on diverse roles, earning appreciation for his ability to stay relevant in an evolving industry. 

“When he crossed his 50s, the kind of work he kept doing, especially in the last five-six years, is mind-blowing. He managed to adapt and stay relevant. He transformed himself to fit different age categories. It’s difficult for senior actors to get noticed. So many actors fade away with time, but he was always doing something or the other. It is so unreal to talk about him in the past tense,” mourns Shaikh, who played his younger brother in Rupali Ganguly-starrer Anupamaa.

Singh’s illustrious career included interesting roles, like popular TV shows Tehkikaat, Kutumb, Jyoti, Beintehaa, and most recently, Anupamaa. He was also seen in film and web series, including Made in Heaven, Indian Police Force, and Yaariyan 2.

Mumbai: Noted actor Rituraj Singh, who first rose to fame in the 1993 TV show ‘Banegi Apni Baat’ and went on to appear in a range of serials, films and OTT shows over the next three decades, passed away at his home early Tuesday following a cardiac arrest. He was 59.

“He had been hospitalized due to some stomach issues and was discharged a few days ago. He passed away around 12.30 am at his home due to a cardiac arrest,” said close friend Amit Behl. Singh, who started his career as a theatre actor in Delhi, is survived by his wife and two children.

Amongst his last appearances is the OTT show ‘Indian Police Force’, which released just last month. Singh's television roles include ‘Anupamaa’, ‘Hitler Didi’, ‘Shapath’, ‘Adaalat’. Besides, he appeared in supporting roles in Hindi films, including ‘Badrinath Ke Dulhania’, and in OTT shows such as ‘Bandish Bandits’ and ‘Made In Heaven’.

Singh, who studied in Delhi University, was close friends with Shah Rukh Khan. They both were a part of Barry John's Theatre Action Group (TAG).

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Actor Rituraj Singh, 59, known for Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), Satyameva Jayate 2 (2021) and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, died on Tuesday. He is survived by wife Charu Singh and kids Jahaan and Adhiraaj.

Actor Amit Behl, a friend, told PTI, “He had been hospitalized due to some stomach issues and was discharged a few days ago. He passed away around 12.30 am at his home due to a cardiac arrest.”

Singh began his career in 1992. Satyameva Jayate 2 director Milap Zaveri says, “He was so full of life and passionate about his work. He’d rehearse his dialogues in advance with me and John (Abraham).”

Karan Johar's Badrinath Ki Dulhania, starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, and helmed by Shashank Khaitan, is an instalment of the 'Ki Dulhania' franchise. The first in the series was Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania two years ago. It clicked with the audience in a big way which led the film's makers to construct another one and extend the franchise. While the first film was a love story that paid homage to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, this one is a more mature and responsible take on love, revolving around the aspect of respect in every relationship, especially the one between life partners.

BEHIND THE SCENES
- Alia's Vaidehi Trivedi is an airhostess who is extremely career-driven and focused. Her strongest relationship is the one she has with herself. She's ambitious and expects respect from her partner apart from a lot of love.
- Varun's Badrinath Bansal is a spoilt brat, who hasn't seen a strong female figure in his life. He falls in love with Vaidehi in a matter of a few meetings and even sends her family a marriage proposal without knowing whether she's game for it too.
- The film was shot in cities like Kota, Jhansi and Haridwar, apart from Mumbai and parts of Singapore, which have been well-utilised in the film to take the story forward.
- Bappi Lahiri and Anuradha Paudwal's hit, Tamma Tamma, was reinvented for this film as Tamma Tamma Again with a rap portion and hip with a rap portion and hiphop beats. The moves were designed in a way that while they look novel, they also doff a hat to the original song. Badri Ki Dulhania is a spin on Pinjrewali Muniya, a classic song, popular in several regions of North India including Uttar Pradesh.
- Most members of the crew are under 30 years of age, which makes it an extremely young team. This helped while making the film. Everyone's opinion was counted in. Everyone had suggestions and voiced them openly. Director Shashank would take decisions after weighing all opinions.
- The cast and crew of the film turned the studio floor into a dance floor on the last day of shoot. They were filming Tamma Tamma Again. And the minute Shashank called 'Cut'' they became very emotional. But after that, it was party time.
- Alia cried a lot while making the film. It was not the scenes or any trouble from her co-actors or director. In most cities, hotels didn't serve diet food. She had to consume some fattening food which made her cry.
- There's a crucial scene in the film, which scared Varun a lot. He had to manhandle Alia's character which brings about a twist in the story. He could only do it well because Alia co-operated with him.
- Varun and Shashank would look at Alia for validation after shooting a scene. If she laughed loudly, they'd know the scene has turned out fine. But if she had a fake laughter, they knew a retake was the way forward.
- Shashank was writing another film which Karan Johar didn't quite like. Then he wrote three scenes across 22 pages and narrated it to him. He was sold on it, and called Varun to narrate it to him. Varun was among the first artistes to come on board and Alia got her narration much later because she was shoot ing another film.

QUOTE ROOM
Alia Bhatt: Often, we say 'I love you' without realising what we're saying. Love comes with a lot of responsibility. HSKD had a lot of puppy love. In this movie, we're in a more mature space. It's a responsible love story. It's not easy to love someone because it entails a lot more than just love. When you grow older, you realise that a relationship is more than just loving someone.

Varun Dhawan: Emotion wise, you can't do melodrama now. I think that's the USP of Badrinath Ki Dulhania and it's because we have a director like Shashank Khaitan. He is from a small town, so he's able to capture the pulse of it, yet his sensibility is such that he can make the film extravagant.

DIRECTOR SPEECH SHASHANK KHAITAN
When I came up with the story, it had nothing to do with any franchise. It's a love story, the theme being of love and marriage, and respect in a relationship. When I shared the script with Karan, he felt there was a certain warmth and suggested the title Badrinath Ki Dulhania. We took a few days to live with the title, to see if it works. I fell in love to see if it works. I fell in love with the title. The film is not an extension of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. Badrinath and Vaidehi are different characters, in a new world and respect in the relationship is important for this love stories to be successful. I'm happy with the response the trailers and the songs have garnered. I hope more and more people come to see the film and take back the message.It's an entertainer for the entire family; for the young and old alike.“

Badrinath Ki Dulhania, produced by Dharma Productions, releases tomorrow.

Trideviyaan, an upcoming show on Sony SAB, will have Samaira Rao play an unconventional bahu called Tanuja Chauhan. She leads a simple life at home, but secretly works as an undercover agent serving her nation.

How does it feel to be back on the small screen after doing a film like Prem Ratan Dhan Payo?
The thought of leaving television after bagging a film never crossed my mind. I love working in different genres and Trideviyaan is one of the best concepts I came across. It's a thriller-comedy and I have always wanted to attempt comedy.

Tell us something about the show.
The story revolves around the concept of Charlie's Angels. Dinanath Chauhan (Rituraj Singh) is the head of the Chauhan family, and he runs a secret mission to save the world with his daughter and daughters-in-law. The three girls possess unique and distinct powers of their own. The show will also celebrate women power as these supergirls manage both their family and the nation.

Tell us a bit about your role in the show.
I play Tanuja Chauhan aka Tanu, who's the younger daughter-in-law. She is an intelligent spy. However, she gets involved in her mission so much that she tends to forget her responsibility as a bahu. Her unique power is that she's very swift - her pace is equivalent to that of the wind.

So do you sport two looks - as a bahu and a secret agent?
All three girls have two looks. I wear a sari as a bahu, but as an agent, I have a bold look I wear black leather jackets, leather pants, high boots and short hair. It's more modern and chic. In fact, not just the looks, but also the tone changes with both the roles.

What's the equation the Trideviyaan share off screen?
The entire cast is friendly. Though I joined the show a little late, I was welcomed immediately. Aishwarya (Sakhuja) was helpful with introductions of the whole team. It's a warm environment to work in. Even Rituraj sir is so approachable that I never felt left out.

Trideviyaan will premiere from November 15, Monday to ­ Friday at 9.30 pm on Sony SAB.