2 November 2026
Television actor Anuj Thakur has died at the age of 33. He died on 27 October 2026, his close friend and casting director Rupesh Sonar confirmed, announcing the news in an emotional post on 30 October.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
How the news emerged
Rupesh Sonar shared the news in an Instagram post on Friday 30 October, writing that he still could not believe Anuj was no longer with them, and calling him not just a friend but like a little brother. The national press picked the announcement up on 1 and 2 November.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
What happened that morning
Rupesh told The Times of India that he learned of the death on Friday night through a common friend, then met Anuj’s mother and brother on Saturday. The family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep. Anuj was an early riser who woke at 4.30 am for fitness and jogging; that morning he did not get up, and when his mother went to his room after his alarm, she found that he had passed away. The seizure account is reported by the family through Rupesh; no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
A 17-year friendship
Rupesh had known Anuj since 2008, when they worked together on their first show, Bandhan Saath Janmon Ka, and went on to work together on several shows after that. He described Anuj as generous, cheerful and helpful, someone who always spoke respectfully to everyone and treated people with dignity.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
The comeback he was planning
Rupesh had met Anuj just 10 days before his death, and said he was talking about making a comeback, with his enthusiasm exactly the same as it had been in 2008. The two had projects planned together, Rupesh wrote, and he still remembered witnessing Anuj’s struggles in his initial days and seeing his journey.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
His career
Anuj’s television journey spanned nearly two decades. He debuted in the Disney Channel teen series Dhoom Machao Dhoom, then moved into mainstream Hindi daily soaps with Bandhan Saath Janmon Ka and Beend Banoongaa Ghodi Chadhunga. His career reached a high point when he played the lead role of Sagar Mehta in the BIG Magic sitcom Mahisagar.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Tributes
TV actor Vaqaur Shaikh wrote that he had known Anuj since his initial days, calling him very sweet and nice, while Bigg Boss 18 fame Yamini Malhotra reacted with disbelief, writing that he was a happy boy. Hansa Singh wrote that the news was heartbreaking, one shocking loss after another, and wished his soul ease on its journey.
Photo: Anuj Thakur, from his own Instagram account (@anujthakur247), as published by ABP Live on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Source: Instagram/@anujthakur247”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Anuj Thakur alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. No location is claimed for the photograph, as ABP Live does not state where it was taken. This is the only verified current portrait of Anuj Thakur found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Anuj himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. Older IndiaForums portraits of the young Anuj Thakur were viewed as an identity cross-check only and were NOT used: they are 800px wide, which would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas, and they carry a baked-in “India Forums” watermark across the torso. A 2010 TellyChakkar photograph (600px) was also rejected as sub-HD. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the cause of death is reported, not medically confirmed in the coverage. The Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, ABP Live and MovieTalkies all report that Rupesh Sonar said Anuj’s family told him Anuj had suffered a seizure in his sleep; MovieTalkies notes that no independent medical confirmation of the exact cause has been reported. This story therefore says “reported seizure” throughout and attributes the account to Rupesh Sonar and the family as reported. The death itself, on 27 October 2026 at the age of 33, is confirmed by Rupesh Sonar’s announcement, carried by all five outlets on 1–2 November 2026. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Remembered
Anuj’s last Instagram post, featuring pictures from his South Africa trip in July 2026, is now flooded with fans paying emotional tributes, The Economic Times reports. He was 33, and, in Rupesh Sonar’s words, “You will always be remembered, brother. Rest in peace.” Tap below for more VisitBest web stories.