Bollywood filmmaker Kuku Kohli dies at 77 after heart attack

Filmmaker Kuku Kohli died at the age of 77 after suffering a heart attack. The veteran director, whose 1991 film Phool Aur Kaante marked Ajay Devgn's Bollywood debut, died on Tuesday.

What happened

According to Kohli's filmmaker friend Ashoke Pandit, who spoke to PTI, the director had been feeling unwell and was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Monday, before passing away the following afternoon around 4:30 pm due to a massive heart attack.

Pandit told SCREEN, “I don’t know how to react because I was very close to him. I can never imagine that he’ll get a heart attack and die. He was healthy. He was food conscious. He was physically very fit. This man was always smiling, laughing and full of positive energy. I’ve never seen him sad. Being sad was not written in his life.”

Ashoke Pandit remembered Kuku Kohli as a skilled filmmaker with a lasting legacy, noting his long stint as an assistant director under Raj Kapoor before he launched Ajay Devgn in Phool Aur Kaante. Pandit called him a great technician, thinker, and human being, and recalled their close working relationship through IFTDA and IMPPA, where Kohli served as General Secretary. He described Kohli as someone who was always willing to help and never turned down a request, and highlighted his social commitment, including his involvement with an old age home in Lonavala.

Early career and rise as a director

Born Avtar Kohli, the filmmaker got his start in the industry working closely under legendary director-producer Raj Kapoor, an experience that shaped his craft before he stepped into directing himself. He spent more than 30 years in the film industry, building a reputation for commercially successful, star-driven dramas.

His directorial debut, Phool Aur Kaante, turned out to be a launchpad not just for his own career but for Ajay Devgn's as well — the film became a hit and established Devgn as a leading man almost overnight.

Notable films

Kohli went on to direct a string of films including Kohraam, Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Anari No 1, Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa, and Woh Tera Naam Tha. Among these, Haqeeqat, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu — stood out critically, earning nominations in seven categories, including Best Director at the Filmfare Awards, along with a Best Director nomination at the Screen Awards. Suhaag, meanwhile, brought together Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Karishma Kapoor and Nagma, and went on to become a golden jubilee hit.