Actor Ranjit Chowdhry passes away; Rahul Khanna, Poorna Jagannathan pay tribute to 'towering icon of Indian diaspora cinema'

Actor-writer Ranjit Chowdhry passed away, on Wednesday, in Mumbai at the age of 65.

Chowdhry is remembered for his roles in Mira Nair's 'Mississippi Masala' starring Denzel Washington, Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Khubsoorat', and Basu Chatterjee's 'Khatta Meetha' and 'Baton Baton Mein' among others.

The son of veteran theatre artiste Pearl Padamsee, Chowdhry moved to the US and starred in shows like 'The Office' and 'Prison Break'. Theatre and adworld stalwart Alyque Padamsee was his step-father


Chowdhry's half-sister Raell Padamsee took to Instagram to share the news, writing, “For all those who knew Ranjit, the funeral will be held tomorrow and a gathering to celebrate his life n share his stories on May 5th. With love, Raell,” she wrote.

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For all those who knew Ranjit, the funeral will be held tomorrow and a gathering to celebrate his life n share his stories on May 5th. With love, Raell.

A post shared by Raell Padamsee's Ace (@raellpadamseesace) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:12am PDT

Tributes poured in for the actor on social media. Actor Poorna Jagannathan tweeted, "This guy made magic out of nothing, filling paper thin roles with so much depth. I always saw my father when I was with him- the same humor, stubbornness and brilliance. Heartbroken, dear friend. RIP."


Actor Rahul Khanna called him a "towering icon of Indian diaspora cinema and a master of his craft."



Film-maker Rahul Dholakia also took to the micro-blogging site to pay tribute.


Director Sanjay Gupta who worked with the actor in his film 'Kaante' also penned a tribute on Twitter, "RIP my friend Ranjit Chaudhury. Had the pleasure of working with you in KAANTE. Thank you for the joy you gave us through your performances. KHATTA MEETHA is my favourite. Keep smiling wherever you are."