Veteran actor Shivaji Satam, best known for portraying ACP Pradyuman in the long-running crime thriller CID, has paid a deeply personal tribute to the show's creator and director, Brijendra Pal Singh, popularly known as BP Singh, who passed away on 27 October 2026 at the age of 77 following a massive heart attack. In a heartfelt social media post, Satam recalled Singh's extraordinary resilience — including his Guinness and Limca world record for directing a 111-minute single-shot episode of CID, achieved exactly eight months after a major heart surgery.

The World Record That Defined a Career

According to Satam's tribute, Singh directed the record-breaking 111-minute single-shot episode of CID just eight months after undergoing major heart surgery — a feat that earned him entries in both The Guinness Book of World Records and The Limca Book of World Records. Satam wrote in his post: 'BPSingh set the WORLD RECORD for 111 mins Single Shot Episode of CID & has been proudly noted in The Guiness Book of World Records & The Limca Book of world records and made us feel Proud Indians.' The post was accompanied by a collage of photographs, including one of Singh posing alongside a framed certificate recognising the achievement.

Notably, Satam also recalled that Singh had returned to outdoor shoots in national park jungles as early as three months after his first heart surgery. 'A FIGHTER TO THE CORE,' Satam wrote, describing his collaborator as 'a real Captain and An ACTORS DIRECTOR.'

A Multifaceted Television Titan

Satam's tribute underlined the sheer breadth of Singh's contribution to Indian television. An Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune graduate in cinematography, Singh began his career as a news cameraman with Doordarshan in 1973. He went on to create the Marathi detective series Ek Shunya Shunya, before launching Aahat in 1995 and CID in 1998.

Satam described Singh as simultaneously the director, cameraman, screenplay writer, and casting director of CID — roles rarely consolidated in a single individual. Singh also appeared on screen as the character DCP Shamsher Singh Chitrole, a 'funny cynical sarcastic grey character' that, according to Satam, became as popular with audiences as the show's primary cast.

CID's Enduring Legacy

Under Singh's stewardship, CID ran for nearly 23 years, becoming one of India's longest-running crime investigation shows. The series featured Shivaji Satam as ACP Pradyuman, Dayanand Shetty as Daya, and Aditya Srivastava as Abhijeet. Satam noted that the show's reach extended beyond India, entertaining audiences in countries with significant Indian diaspora communities, and that repeat telecasts continue to attract viewers on various OTT platforms.

Singh was also credited by Satam with discovering and nurturing several actors and directors who went on to prominence in both Hindi cinema and television. 'He was the one who selected and created all the Main CHARACTERS OF CID,' Satam wrote.

A Personal Loss

Beyond professional admiration, Satam described Singh as a close personal friend who shaped his evolution as an actor. Having come primarily from the Marathi stage, Satam credited Singh with teaching him to 'shed inhibitions' and understand camera technique — from lens magnification to when to 'be larger than life' versus understated while emoting. 'One of the biggest chapters of my life, is closed forever,' Satam wrote, signing off his tribute with: 'Rest in peace Dear FRIEND.'

With BP Singh's passing, Indian television loses one of its most versatile and technically rigorous creators — a figure whose storytelling experiments, including a world-record single-shot episode, pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible for the medium.