Anuj Thakur

Anuj Thakur died in his sleep at home on 27 October 2026, aged 33 according to The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and The Economic Times (some Hindi and Marathi outlets said 30). His alarm went off at 4.30 a.m. as usual, and when his mother went to wake him she found that he had died.

His family told his friend Rupesh Sonar that he had suffered a seizure in his sleep. Some regional outlets reported a heart attack instead; no official medical statement was released.

Sonar learned of the death from a mutual friend at about 8.30 p.m. on Friday 30 October, posted a tribute on Instagram, and visited the family the following day. The news spread through Indian entertainment media on 1 and 2 November, and actors including Vaqaur Shaikh and Yamini Malhotra posted messages of shock. Funeral details were not made public.

Little has been published about Anuj Thakur's early life. His date and place of birth have not been confirmed in reputable reporting, and outlets have given his age at death as either 33 or 30. He lived with his family, and reports of his death mention his mother and a brother. His friend Rupesh Sonar said he had watched Thakur's struggles in his initial days in the industry, which began around 2008.

Thakur worked in Hindi television for close to two decades. According to Rupesh Sonar, the casting director who became a close friend, the pair first worked together in 2008 on Bandhan Saath Janmon Ka and collaborated on several later shows, including Beend Banoonga Ghodi Chadhunga.

His other credits, as listed in coverage of his death by The Indian Express, NDTV and The Times of India, included Dhoom Machao Dhoom and Mahisagar. He was a working actor rather than a star, known within the industry as dependable and easy to work with.

In his final months he had been away from acting but, Sonar said, was talking about a comeback and had planned new projects with him.

Friends described Thakur as cheerful, generous and helpful, someone who spoke respectfully to everyone and treated people with dignity. He was disciplined about fitness, waking at 4.30 every morning for exercise and jogging. One of his last Instagram posts, from a trip to South Africa, was widely shared after his death. He lived with his family; his mother and a brother survived him. No details of a marriage or children have been reported.

Thakur is remembered as one of the many working actors who sustained Hindi television's long-running serials, and above all as a kind and reliable colleague. The reaction to his death among people who had worked with him since 2008, and the attention given to his final posts, reflected how well liked he was within the industry, and drew attention to how suddenly a young and apparently healthy man could be lost.