Rituraj Singh, who passed away at the age of 59 in the wee hours of Tuesday, was a member of TAG, the same Delhi theatre group as Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan. The two used to rehearse together and play football. They acted together in SRK's debut film, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. Aired in 1989, it was made for Doordarshan by filmmaker-environmentalist Pradip Kishen based on Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy's script drawing heavily on her days as a student at Delhi's School of Planning and Architecture. Rituraj Singh Dies at 59: Know How Pancreatitis Affects Heart – The Condition That Claimed Anupamaa Actor’s Life.

Those days, SRK, despite being well-known for his pivotal role in the TV serial Fauji, was nowhere near the superstar he was to become, so the role he was so keen to essay went to Rituraj. In the film, which won two National Awards (Best Feature Film in English and Best Screenplay), Rituraj played the role of Arjun Kamat, who, along with his girlfriend, Radha (portrayed by Arundhati Roy), hatches a plan to turn the hostile thesis panel in favour of the titular character and their friend Anand, known as Annie, during the submission process.

Anand was played by Arjun Raina, a local actor who also acted in Kishen's next film, Electric Moon, and is today better known as a Kathakali dancer and National School of Drama teacher whose students include Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Adil Hussain and Ashutosh Rana. Arjun's role, which he so badly wanted, slipped from SRK's hands, and he had to satisfy himself with a supporting role. SRK played a fellow student known as simply Senior. SRK, it is said, never really forgave Arundhati Roy for her casting call! Rituraj Singh Death: Nakuul Mehta Recalls Working With Veteran Actor in Never Kiss Your Best Friend, Pens Heartwarming Note (View Post).

The central character in the film, Anand, is an idealistic student who would study less and instead dream up utopian solutions to India's problems (like planting trees alongside railway tracks where underprivileged Indians defecate -- the faecal matter acting as compost and the water from sprinklers attached to trains doing the rest). Set in the 1970s, the film was high on comedy and was praised for its realistic portrayal of contemporary college life. It also featured Roshan Seth, best known for playing Pandit Nehru in Sir Richard Attenborough''s Gandhi (in Annie, he played the comical co. lege principal YS Billimoria, aka Yamdoot), Manoj Bajpayee and Raghubir Yadav.

In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones was never released in theatres but has gained a cult status over the years. Rituraj Singh, who passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday, was discharged from hospital after he was admitted following a stomach infection. His health condition, however, deteriorated, and he suffered a heart attack to which he succumbed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2024 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).