The Hindi film industry gathered on Wednesday to bid a tearful goodbye to one of its own — director Kuku Kohli, whose final rites were held at the Oshiwara crematorium in Mumbai. The ceremony brought together prominent figures from the film fraternity — colleagues, friends, family and long-time admirers — who came to pay their last respects to the departed filmmaker. The atmosphere was deeply solemn, marked by quiet reverence and shared grief.
A significant cross-section of the film industry stood together at the crematorium. Celebrities who attended the final rites of Kuku Kohli included Vicky Kaushal, his wife Katrina Kaif, his father Sham Kaushal, director Rohit Shetty, Raja Murad, Tinu Anand, Javed Akhtar, his wife Shabana Azmi, Rajpal Yadav, Ashoke Pandit and Gajendra Chauhan. The presence of veterans, contemporary stars and industry stalwarts together reflected the wide and enduring respect Kuku Kohli commanded within the film community.
Respectful Silence Instead of Statements
The celebrities appeared solemn, paid their respects, and left without interacting with the media. That respectful silence — chosen over statements or public conversation — was itself a mark of the gravity of the moment. Grief, in such settings, often speaks most powerfully in what is left unsaid.
Aruna Irani's Heartbreaking Arrival
The most emotionally moving image of the day was that of the director's wife, actor Aruna Irani, who looked devastated as she arrived for her husband's funeral. She was being escorted by her family members. For those familiar with Aruna Irani's own decades-long journey in the film industry, seeing her carry the weight of this loss brought its own quiet, aching poignancy to the occasion.
Ajay Devgn's Heartfelt Tribute
Among those unable to be physically present but visibly moved was Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn, who paid a deeply personal tribute to the director on social media. Kuku Kohli had launched Ajay with his debut film, 'Phool Aur Kaante'. The superstar remembered him for having faith in him at the very beginning of his career.
'Forever Grateful for the Faith You Had in Me'
Sharing a picture of the ace filmmaker along with a heartfelt note, Ajay wrote, "Some people change the course of your life forever. Kuku ji was one of those people for me. Forever grateful for the faith you had in me. You will be deeply missed, Kuku ji. Om Shanti." Coming from one of Hindi cinema's most enduring superstars, that tribute carries the weight of a career-shaping debt of gratitude — one that few filmmakers ever earn from the stars they help launch.
The 'Phool Aur Kaante' Chapter
Kuku Kohli played a defining role in shaping Ajay Devgn's career by giving him his first break with 'Phool Aur Kaante', which released in 1991. The film marked Ajay's debut as a leading actor and went on to become a commercial success. In particular, the film's opening sequence — featuring Devgn balancing between two moving motorcycles — went on to become one of the most iconic star-arrival moments in modern Hindi cinema. That single image is still remembered today as the definitive introduction of a star who would go on to shape three decades of Indian film.
A Career That Left Its Mark
Over the years, Kuku Kohli directed several films and worked with a number of prominent names in the industry. His filmmaking sensibility was rooted in mainstream Hindi cinema's emotional traditions — storytelling that combined drama, family, action and star-driven appeal. While his filmography spanned different phases of Hindi cinema, his lasting cultural imprint remains most clearly linked to his instinct for spotting star potential — most memorably in Ajay Devgn.
The Circumstances of His Passing
Kuku Kohli had been admitted to the hospital two days ago after suffering a heart attack. Despite the medical intervention that followed, he could not be saved — a sudden loss that has come as a deep shock to his family, close friends and the many industry colleagues who had known him across decades. Cardiac events remain one of the most sudden and unpredictable causes of loss, and their emotional impact on families and communities is often profound.
The Family He Leaves Behind
Kuku Kohli is survived by his wife, actor Aruna Irani. He also has two children, Pooja and Karishma, from his first marriage to Rita Kohli. In moments of loss such as these, the emotional weight on the family cannot be overstated — and the industry's collective presence at the final rites is often as much a gesture of solidarity toward those left behind as it is a farewell to the departed.
Why It Matters: A Filmmaker Who Shaped a Star
Not every filmmaker gets to define a career-launching moment in Indian cinema. Kuku Kohli's decision to cast Ajay Devgn in 'Phool Aur Kaante' — and to build the film around a debut star with then-unproven credentials — is exactly the kind of creative leap that shapes industry history. Every time an Ajay Devgn film opens today, decades later, a small part of Kuku Kohli's original faith continues to echo through Indian cinema.
The Ajay Devgn Legacy Connection
Ajay Devgn's tribute — "Some people change the course of your life forever" — captures something profoundly true about the filmmaker-actor relationship. Directors who take a chance on debutants play an outsized role in shaping careers that later touch millions of viewers. When Ajay Devgn stepped onto those two motorcycles in the 'Phool Aur Kaante' opening sequence, he was announcing his arrival — but he was doing so because Kuku Kohli had believed in him first.
Aruna Irani's Own Legacy
Aruna Irani herself has been one of Hindi cinema's most beloved and respected veterans. Her decades of memorable performances across generations have earned her deep admiration from audiences and industry peers alike. Watching her carry the weight of her husband's loss is a moment that will resonate emotionally with everyone who has grown up watching her on screen.
Why It Matters: A Loss That Reflects an Era
Kuku Kohli's passing is also symbolic of a slowly changing era in Hindi cinema. His work belongs to a period when Hindi films were shaped by very specific storytelling instincts — emotion-driven narratives, star-forward casting, mainstream family-oriented themes and clear cinematic craft. Every time a filmmaker of that era passes on, a small piece of that specific chapter of Indian cinema history quietly closes.
The Fraternity's Presence: A Meaningful Signal
The presence of names ranging from Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif to Rohit Shetty and Rajpal Yadav to Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi at the crematorium sends a meaningful signal. It reminds younger generations of the industry — and audiences — that behind every ceremonial gathering of stars lies a shared community, one that continues to honour its senior filmmakers, elders and collaborators with grace and respect.
The Emotional Weight for Sham Kaushal
The presence of Sham Kaushal — action director and Vicky Kaushal's father — is also worth noting. Action directors, camera crews, stunt teams and behind-the-scenes creative professionals often share deep working relationships with filmmakers over years and decades. For members of this community, the loss of a director like Kuku Kohli is not merely a professional loss — it is a personal one, tied to years of shared sets, shared craft and shared trust.
Why It Matters: A Reminder of Life's Suddenness
Sudden losses like this one carry a powerful reminder of life's fragility. Kuku Kohli was reportedly admitted just two days before his passing after suffering a heart attack. Cardiac events — sudden, unpredictable and often overwhelming — continue to be one of the most emotionally difficult forms of loss to process. Every such moment reinforces the wider public health conversation around cardiac awareness, early screening, healthy lifestyles and timely medical response.
The Public Response
Beyond the industry itself, fans across social media platforms have been offering their own condolences and remembrances. Many have shared their favourite moments from Kuku Kohli's films, particularly the iconic Ajay Devgn debut, and expressed heartfelt support for Aruna Irani and the extended Kohli family. Public grief, in these moments, functions as its own form of collective tribute.
The Silent Language of Funerals
Bollywood funerals often unfold with a distinctive quality — a silent language of respect, restraint and grief. Stars who otherwise are constantly in front of cameras arrive quietly, offer their condolences, and depart with minimal interaction. That silence itself becomes part of the tribute — a form of dignified farewell that honours the departed without turning the moment into media spectacle.
Why It Matters: Honouring the Craftsmen Behind the Camera
Public conversation around Indian cinema often focuses primarily on stars, but the industry is fundamentally sustained by craftsmen and craftswomen behind the camera — directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, choreographers, action directors and countless others. Kuku Kohli belonged to this community of craft-first professionals whose work shapes the films audiences love, even when their own names may be less publicly celebrated.
Industry Impact: A Reminder of Mentorship's Enduring Value
Every star who publicly acknowledges the mentors and early believers who shaped their career — as Ajay Devgn did today — helps keep alive an important cultural value within the film industry. Mentorship, faith and career-shaping opportunities matter deeply — and remembering the people who provided them is one of the most meaningful traditions of an industry built on collaboration.
Why It Matters: The Aruna Irani-Kuku Kohli Bond
Aruna Irani and Kuku Kohli's marriage was a widely respected personal partnership within the industry. The image of Aruna Irani arriving at her husband's funeral, supported by her family members, is one that will stay with anyone who witnessed it. Every long marriage is built on quiet moments of everyday love — and every loss brings with it the weight of memories accumulated across such moments.
The Family Layer
For Kuku Kohli's children — Pooja and Karishma — this moment marks a difficult personal chapter. Losing a father is one of life's most profound emotional experiences, one that no professional role or public standing can shield anyone from. The industry's collective presence at the final rites is often a small but meaningful source of comfort for immediate families going through such profound grief.
The Bigger Picture: The Enduring Web of Cinema
Every Indian film ever made is the outcome of an intricate web of relationships — filmmakers who mentor actors, actors who trust filmmakers, technicians who serve stories, families who support artists, and audiences who ultimately give it all meaning. Kuku Kohli belonged deeply within that web. His passing reminds us of the enduring value of every thread within it.
Why It Matters: Cinema Culture Preserves Memory
One of the beautiful qualities of cinema culture is how it preserves memory. Even decades from now, when the 'Phool Aur Kaante' motorcycle scene plays on television or streaming platforms, viewers who may not even know Kuku Kohli's name will experience the impact of his creative vision. That kind of quiet, enduring cultural presence is one of the most beautiful legacies any filmmaker can leave behind.
The Larger Message
There is also a broader message hidden within the day's proceedings. In an industry often criticised for being transactional, moments like this remind everyone that beneath the noise, the competition and the professional intensity, Hindi cinema remains, at its heart, a community. When one of its own leaves, its members show up — with silence, with tears, with tributes, with memories — and with the enduring bonds of a lifetime of shared craft.
What Comes Next: Time for Grief, and Slowly for Healing
For Aruna Irani, Pooja, Karishma and the wider Kohli family, the immediate days ahead will be about grief, family gatherings and the slow acceptance that follows sudden loss. In the weeks and months ahead, memory, ritual, community support and cherished films will together offer some small measure of healing. Time, love and remembrance are ultimately what carry every family through such profoundly difficult chapters.
The Bigger Picture: A Filmmaker Whose Faith Built a Star
Kuku Kohli's legacy will always be remembered in many ways — through his films, through his industry contributions, through the loved ones he leaves behind and through the memories his friends and family will hold close for the rest of their lives. But perhaps his most lasting cultural legacy will be that of a filmmaker whose faith in a young debutant led to the launch of one of Hindi cinema's most enduring superstars. Every superstar has an origin story. And in Ajay Devgn's case, that origin story begins with a filmmaker who chose to believe.
The Bottom Line
The final rites of director Kuku Kohli, held at the Oshiwara crematorium on Wednesday, brought together a diverse cross-section of the Hindi film industry — from Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif and Sham Kaushal to Rohit Shetty, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Rajpal Yadav, Raja Murad, Tinu Anand, Ashoke Pandit and Gajendra Chauhan. His wife, actor Aruna Irani, arrived devastated, escorted by her family, in one of the day's most emotionally moving moments. Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn, whose 1991 debut in 'Phool Aur Kaante' was Kuku Kohli's gift to Indian cinema, paid the day's most heartfelt public tribute — remembering the man whose belief in him quite literally changed the course of his life. Kuku Kohli, who had been hospitalised just two days ago after a heart attack, is survived by his wife Aruna Irani and his children Pooja and Karishma from his first marriage to Rita Kohli. As the film industry, his family, his colleagues and countless fans come together in grief today, one truth stands clear — that the memory of a filmmaker whose faith launched a superstar, whose craft shaped stories that touched millions, and whose partnership with his family embodied quiet strength, will endure long after this farewell. In Hindi cinema, no one truly leaves as long as their work continues to be watched, remembered and cherished. And by that measure, Kuku Kohli's story will keep quietly playing — one frame, one film, one warm memory at a time — for many, many years to come. Om Shanti.
