Veteran television producer and director Brijendra Pal Singh, known to millions simply as BP Singh, died on October 27, 2026, after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 77. Singh was the creator of CID, Indian television’s longest-running crime drama, and the horror anthology Aahat — two shows that shaped the viewing habits of a generation.
His last rites were held in Mumbai on October 28, 2026. Family members, friends and well-wishers gathered at his Andheri West residence in the morning before the cremation at Oshiwara Crematorium, where members of the CID cast came together to bid farewell to the man who had guided their careers.
Key Takeaways
- BP Singh, the creator of CID and Aahat, died on October 27, 2026, at the age of 77 after a massive heart attack.
- His last rites were held in Mumbai on October 28, with the CID cast — including Shivaji Satam, Dayanand Shetty and Aditya Srivastava — in attendance.
- Singh began as a Doordarshan cameraman in 1973 and went on to create CID in 1998, a show that ran for more than two decades.
An emotional farewell from the CID family
The funeral brought together the actors most closely associated with Singh’s work. Shivaji Satam, who played ACP Pradyuman, was present and visibly emotional as he paid his respects, placing a flower garland on the filmmaker’s mortal remains. Dayanand Shetty, who became a household name as Senior Inspector Daya, carried Singh’s bier on its final journey. Aditya Srivastava, who played Senior Inspector Abhijeet, was seen performing the last rites.
Also in attendance were Shraddha Musale, who played Dr Tarika, Ashwini Kalsekar, Hrishikesh Pandey, who played Senior Inspector Sachin, and K. K. Goswami, known to viewers as Dhenchu. The gathering reflected a bond built over decades on the sets of CID, where Singh was not only the creator but also a cast member himself, playing DCP Shamsher Singh Chitrole.
Satam, speaking about Singh, described him as a mentor, friend and teacher, and said Singh had shaped his career and taught him the nuances of acting for television. “The biggest chapter of my life is over today,” he said, according to reports of his tribute. Satam also said Singh deserved the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian television.
For millions of viewers, CID was not just a show — it was a nightly ritual that ran for more than two decades.
For millions of viewers, CID was not just a show — it was a nightly ritual that ran for more than two decades. Its catchphrases, its cliffhangers and its familiar faces became part of everyday conversation across India, and its cast became household names in a way few television ensembles ever manage.
From cameraman to the creator of a television institution
Singh’s journey in television began behind the camera. After graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, he started his career as a news cameraman with Doordarshan in 1973. He later moved into production, creating the horror series Aahat in 1995 and then CID in 1998 on Sony TV.
CID went on to run for more than twenty years, making it one of the longest-running shows in Indian television history. Alongside CID and Aahat, Singh backed the Doordarshan television film Sirf Char Din and Gutur Gu, described as India’s first silent comedy. In 2018, he took over as chairman of FTII after Anupam Kher’s resignation, returning to the institute where he had trained.
Colleagues remembered his work ethic as much as his shows. Satam recalled that only three months after undergoing cardiac surgery, Singh was running around with a camera in a jungle shooting a chase sequence, and that six to seven months after a second surgery he designed a 111-minute single-shot episode.
Colleagues remember their guru
Ashwini Kalsekar, who joined CID from its 13th episode, spoke of Singh as her guru. She said he taught her the basics of the craft — how to stand confidently in a frame, how to run when a scene demanded it, how to hold a pistol, how to deliver dialogue — and that everything he taught her would live on through her work.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also paid tribute, calling Singh a brilliant filmmaker whose crime shows won the hearts of audiences across the country, and recalling their time working together during Singh’s tenure as president of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association.
- CID premiered in 1998 and ran for more than two decades, becoming one of India’s longest-running television shows.
- Aahat, launched in 1995, became one of India’s best-known horror anthology series.
- Singh started at Doordarshan as a news cameraman in 1973 after graduating from FTII, Pune.
- He later served as chairman of FTII, the institute where he trained.
What to Watch Next
Tributes from across the entertainment world are expected to continue as colleagues and viewers share memories of Singh’s work. The legacy he leaves behind is visible every time a crime drama holds an audience for decades, and every time a familiar cast becomes part of a family’s evening routine.
The shows he created remain his most lasting memorial. CID and Aahat are still watched and discussed years after their first runs, and the actors he mentored continue to carry forward the craft he taught them — from standing confidently in a frame to delivering a line that stays with viewers long after the episode ends. For the Indian television industry, the farewell in Mumbai marked the end of an era that began with a cameraman in 1973 and became a nightly ritual for millions.