Aruna Irani Breaks Down at Husband Kuku Kohli Funeral as Bollywood Pays Final Respects

Veteran actress Aruna Irani was visibly heartbroken as she arrived at a Mumbai crematorium on Wednesday, August 26, for the final rites of her husband, filmmaker Kuku Kohli. The actress, who appeared frail and overwhelmed with grief, was supported by family members and close friends as she made her way to the funeral. Emotional visuals from the crematorium captured the devastating reality of saying goodbye to a life partner of more than three decades.

Kuku Kohli, the filmmaker best known for directing Phool Aur Kaante and launching Ajay Devgn, passed away on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 77. He died after suffering a massive cardiac arrest at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. His death came shortly after he had undergone angioplasty following a mild heart attack, making the sudden turn in his health all the more tragic.

According to reports, Aruna Irani was by Kuku Kohli's side at the hospital when his condition deteriorated. The couple had been married since 1990, sharing more than 35 years together. For Aruna Irani, one of Hindi cinema's most respected veteran actresses, the loss marks an incredibly painful personal chapter after decades spent alongside the filmmaker.

At the funeral, Irani's grief was evident. She was seen in tears and appeared visibly shaken as she was accompanied into the crematorium. The heartbreaking sight offered a deeply personal glimpse into the family's mourning, away from the usual glamour associated with Bollywood. Friends and members of the film fraternity also gathered to pay their final respects to the late filmmaker.

Kuku Kohli leaves behind a significant legacy in Hindi cinema. His directorial debut, Phool Aur Kaante, arrived in 1991 and became a major commercial success. The film also introduced Ajay Devgn as a leading man, with the actor's unforgettable debut stunt involving two moving motorcycles becoming one of Bollywood's most iconic opening sequences.

The filmmaker went on to direct several popular films during the 1990s, including Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Zulmi and Anari No. 1. His association with Ajay Devgn remained an important part of his career, but his contribution to commercial Hindi cinema extended beyond a single actor or film. His work became closely associated with the action, romance and masala-driven storytelling that defined a major period of Bollywood.

Kohli is survived by Aruna Irani and his two daughters from a previous marriage. His passing has prompted tributes from several members of the film industry, including Ajay Devgn and Anupam Kher. Devgn, whose career began with Phool Aur Kaante, remembered Kohli as someone who changed the course of his life forever and expressed gratitude for the faith the filmmaker placed in him.

The loss has therefore been felt on two different levels — as the passing of a filmmaker who played an important role in 1990s Bollywood and as the heartbreaking loss of a husband, father and friend. For Aruna Irani, the funeral was a deeply emotional farewell to the man she had shared more than three decades of her life with.

As Bollywood continues to remember Kuku Kohli, his films and the careers he helped shape will remain part of his enduring legacy. But amid the tributes and memories, the images of Aruna Irani at his funeral serve as the most poignant reminder that behind every celebrated film personality is a family left to cope with an intensely personal loss.