Ranjit Chowdhry, who rose to prominence as a Bollywood character actor before his turn on The Office, has died aged 64.
He suffered a perforated intestinal ulcer this week and underwent emergency surgery at the highly regarded Breach Candy Hospital in his hometown Bombay.
‘They operated on him but he died at the hospital yesterday at 4 in the morning,’ said Indian stage actress Dolly Thakore according to the Orissa Post.
Dearly departed: Ranjit Chowdhry, who rose to prominence as a Bollywood character actor before his turn on The Office (pictured), has died aged 64
‘He was so well loved and an adorable guy. I reached out to the family. He has a wife and 16-year-old son in New York,’ said Dolly.
She explained: ‘He had come to India for a dental treatment. He has been here since December-January. He was booked to go back April 8 and the lockdown came.’
Amid the coronavirus pandemic the Indian government grounded all international flights in late March, then expanded the measure to include domestic flights.
‘He got a ruptured ulcer in the intestine which happened April 14. A physician was called who said he needs to go to the hospital and he was taken to Breach Candy hospital. They operated on him but he died at the hospital yesterday at 4 in the morning,’ Dolly shared this Thursday.
Bereaved: His half-sister Raell Padamsee posted an Instagram tribute to Ranjit calling him by his nickname ‘Chottu,’ an Indian term of endearment meaning ‘little one’
Dolly shares a child with Ranjit’s onetime stepfather Alyque Padamsee, who played Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the Oscar-winning film Gandhi.
Before his relationship with Dolly, Alyque was married to Ranjit’s late mother Pearl Padamsee, herself a renowned stage actress in India.
In the United States Ranjit is best known for his guest appearances on such shows as The Office, where he played opposite Steve Carell for two episodes.
He also had a recurring role on Cosby in the 1990s, as well as guest shots on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Prison Break and Girls.
Throwback: Ranjit consistently worked with Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, who directed him in such movies as Sam & Me, which they are pictured at a Toronto screening of in 2008
American audiences also got to see him in the 2006 film Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah as a terminally ill woman who goes to Europe for one last vacation.
Ranjit established himself as a Bollywood character actor in the 1970s and 1980s most famously in 1980 film Khubsoorat (Beautiful).
His first two films Khatta Meetha (Sweet And Sour) and Baton Baton Mein (By The Way) also featured Ranjit’s mother.
He broke into western cinema with a leading role in the 1990 film Lonely In America directed by Spike Lee’s longtime editor Barry Alexander Brown.
Throwback: Ranjit is pictured acting in Deepa’s controversial 1996 lesbian drama Fire opposite legendary Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi
Ranjit consistently worked with Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, who directed him in such movies as Sam & Me, Camilla and her controversial lesbian drama Fire.
His role in Deepa’s 2002 romantic comedy Bollywood/Hollywood earned Ranjit a Genie Award in Canada for best supporting actor.
He also had a long working relationship with Monsoon Wedding director Mira Nair, who cast him in Mississippi Masala starring Denzel Washington among other films.
His work included a small role in the 1994 in the Nicholas Cage romantic comedy It Could Happen To You, which coincidentally got a Bollywood remake five years later.
Family business: Ranjit’s mother was the stage star Pearl Padamsee (pictured), who acted with him in his first two movies Khatta Meeta (Sweet And Sour) and Baton Baton Mein (By The Way)
‘Ranjit, my foster son, has always been a delightful sprite of a human being,’ Alyque wrote in his memoir A Double Life: My Exciting Years In Theatre And Advertising.
His half-sister Raell Padamsee posted an Instagram tribute to Ranjit calling him by his nickname ‘Chottu,’ a Hindi term of endearment meaning ‘little one.’
She announced ‘a gathering to celebrate his life n share his stories on May 5th,’ two days after the current official end date of India’s coronavirus lockdown.