The son of veteran theatre artist Pearl Padamsee, Ranjit made his Hindi film debut with Khatta Meetha ( 1978, Basu Chatterjee) followed by Baaton Baaton Mein (1979, Basu Chatterjee) and Khoobsoorat (1980, Hrishikesh Mukherjee).

Making an eye-catching start with these three similar roles of a likable kid brother, Ranjit did two distinctly different character roles in the art-house cult film Chakara (1981) and AB starrer Kaalia (1981).

Then there was a longish, almost 10-year break and he moved to the US.

From the early 90s onwards to 2011, he did several Hollywood features and TV shows. Films include Last Holiday and Sam & me (which he wrote himself).

He did a slate of Indian themed English language films by NRI directors like Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta. Films like Kamasutra, Perez Family, Mississippi Masala, Fire, Bollywood Hollywood and many others.

He also featured in top-rated Hollywood TV shows like NYPD, Law & Order & Prison Break.

In recent years he had gotten his maximum fame playing the character of Vikram in the super hit American show The Office.

Ranjit was a South Bombay lad and a student of the famous Campion High school.

Though he was never formally a student of FTII, he spent a long spell on campus and was one of the many nonstudent ‘residents’ with close friendships and creative collaborations with several students.

Rest in peace Ranjit Chowdhary.Om Shanti.