Actor from the city passes away

…the TV and film actor was part of many Hindi and Punjabi shows as well as films

Gurnaaz Kaur

The day opened to another sad news for the film fraternity. Ranjan Sehgal, TV and film actor, died of organ failure at the PGI, Chandigarh. The actor had completed his Masters from the Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University.

Ranjan started as a theatre actor and later moved to Mumbai. Before that, he was also seen in a Punjabi show Chadya Chann Samundar Paar. In Mumbai, he started with TV commercials and did side roles in shows like Crime Patrol, Sabki Ladli Bebo, Bhagya and Rishta.com. His persistence paid off when he got the parallel lead in Color TV’s Rishon Se Badi Pratha. Later, in shows like Tum Dena Saath Mera, Gustakh Dil, Bhawar, Jaane Kya Hoga Ram and Kuldeepak, Ranjan played significant roles.

City connect

Ranjan stayed connected to his roots in Chandigarh and would often visit the city. He also acted in Punjabi movies, including Yaaran Da Katchup, Aatishbaazi Ishq and Mahi NRI. We even saw him in Bollywood movie Sarbjit.

Having worked together in Yaaran Da Katchup, Pollywood actor Jaswinder Bhalla remembers Ranjan as a smart boy. “He was a good actor. He believed in creativity.”

Polly Jabbal, his co-star in Mahi NRI, vouches for his helpful nature. “It’s hard to believe the news. He was a good teacher and a good actor. More than anything else, he was a helpful human being.”

Ranjan was recently selected for a lead role in a Punjabi show. His friend Om Doliya, an executive producer with Zee Punjabi, recalls the conversation, “Just a day before I confirmed his role in the show. He was quite happy that he bagged the lead character.”

One day later, the story has changed and forever!