Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Filmmaker Kuku Kohli died at the age of 77. The filmmaker, known for giving Ajay Devgn his breakthrough with Phool Aur Kaante (1991), suffered a massive heart attack on Tuesday. He was admitted at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.
His brother-in-law, Balraj Irani, confirmed the news to India Today, sharing that Kohli was feeling unwell and was admitted to hospital a few days ago. He had a blockage and had a stent fitted yesterday. Irani said, “He was absolutely fine and then today evening he suffered a massive heart attack. He was talking to us and just collapsed.”
advertisement
The funeral will be held tomorrow, Thursday at the Oshiwara crematorium.
The filmmaker is married to actor Aruna Irani. From his first marriage to Rita Kohli, he has two daughters: Pooja Kohli, a film producer, and Karishma Kohli, a filmmaker. Karishma served as an assistant director on Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) before co-directing the Netflix series The Fame Game (2022). She married actor Mikhail Yawalkar in 2025.
Kuku Kohli had a long career in Hindi cinema, directing several popular films including Phool Aur Kaante, Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Zulmi, Anari No 1 and Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa. He also directed Woh Tera Naam Tha, his last directorial venture.
Kohli made a successful directorial debut with Phool Aur Kaante, which featured Madhoo, Amrish Puri, Aruna Irani, and Jagdeep. Later that year, he directed Kohraam, followed by the 1994 hit Suhaag, which reunited him with Ajay Devgn alongside Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, and Nagma. Suhaag notably marked the first on-screen collaboration between Devgn and Kumar.
In January 2026, Kohli had shared his excitement regarding the re-release of Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa (2002), highlighting that he was glad a new generation of moviegoers would have the opportunity to watch the film in cinemas.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
