The Indian film industry has lost a notable creative voice with the passing of veteran director Kuku Kohli. He was widely recognized as the husband of renowned actress Aruna Irani and leaves behind his wife and two daughters. According to reports, he did not suffer from any prior major illness, but his health deteriorated suddenly after he experienced a heart attack. He was rushed to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where medical professionals made desperate efforts to save him, but unfortunately, those attempts were unsuccessful. He breathed his last at the hospital at the age of 77.
Kuku Kohli contributed several remarkable films to Hindi cinema throughout his career. He initially started working as an assistant to legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. He made his directorial debut with the film 'Phool Aur Kaante', which also marked the acting debut of actor Ajay Devgn and actress Madhu. Aside from directing, he was also active as a writer, editor, and screenwriter. Born in Peshawar, he spent over 30 years working within the film industry. Earlier in his career, he served as the second unit director for the movie 'Betaab', which served as a major launchpad for Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh, propelling both actors to stardom as it emerged as a golden jubilee hit. His subsequent directorial venture was 'Arjun', starring Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia, which became a silver jubilee success. He then directed 'Phool Aur Kaante', which achieved diamond jubilee status and firmly established Ajay Devgn as a leading star.
Directing Major Stars in Memorable Blockbusters
Throughout his extensive career, Kuku Kohli collaborated with numerous major film stars. He directed the movie 'Kohraam' featuring Dharmendra, as well as 'Suhaag', which starred Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, and Nagma. 'Suhaag' proved to be another golden jubilee success at the box office. His directorial project 'Haqeeqat' featured Ajay Devgn and Tabu, earning nominations in 7 categories at the Filmfare Awards, including a nomination for Best Director. He also received a Best Director nomination at the Screen Awards for the same film. Among his other notable projects was 'Zulmi', starring Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, which performed well commercially. He subsequently directed 'Anadi No. 1', featuring Govinda in a dual role. Following that, he helmed 'Yeh Dil Aashiquana', a project that marked the triumphant return of the iconic music composer duo Nadeem-Shravan to the industry.
Personal Life and Active Cinematic Legacy
The final feature film directed by Kuku Kohli was 'Woh Tera Naam Tha', which starred Arjan Bajwa and Kanchi Kaul. In his personal life, he married actress Aruna Irani in 1990, and the couple did not have any children together. He has children from his first marriage to Rita Kohli, specifically his daughters Pooja Kohli and Karisma Kohli, both of whom are active in the entertainment sector. Karisma has worked as an assistant director on director Kabir Khan's hit films 'Ek Tha Tiger' and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', and she also co-directed the Netflix series 'The Fame Game'.
