‘Phool Aur Kaante’ Director Kuku Kohli Dies After Cardiac Arrest at 77

Veteran Hindi filmmaker Kuku Kohli, best remembered for directing Ajay Devgn’s debut film Phool Aur Kaante, died in Mumbai on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. He was 77.

Kohli died at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to information provided separately by his brother-in-law Balraj Irani and a spokesperson for his wife, actor Aruna Irani.

Balraj told India Today that the filmmaker had been hospitalised after feeling unwell and had undergone a procedure to place a stent for an arterial blockage. Although he initially appeared to be recovering, his condition deteriorated suddenly on Tuesday evening.

“He was absolutely fine and then today evening he suffered a massive heart attack. He was talking to us and just collapsed,” Balraj said.

Kohli is survived by Aruna Irani and his two daughters, Pooja and Karishma, from his first marriage.

Kuku Kohli’s lasting association with Ajay Devgn

Kohli’s name occupies an important place in Ajay Devgn’s career story. He directed the actor’s first leading role in the 1991 action-romance Phool Aur Kaante, pairing him with fellow debutant Madhoo.

Devgn’s introduction balancing between two moving motorcycles became one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable star-entry sequences. The film helped establish him as an action hero and began a professional association with Kohli that extended to two more commercially oriented films during the 1990s.

They reunited for Suhaag in 1994. The action drama brought Devgn and Akshay Kumar together on screen, with Karisma Kapoor and Nagma playing the female leads. Kohli subsequently directed Devgn and Tabu in Haqeeqat, released in 1995.

While Phool Aur Kaante is frequently described simply as the film that “launched” Devgn, Kohli’s contribution went beyond casting a newcomer. The filmmaker helped shape the actor’s early screen identity through a combination of action, romance, family conflict and music the dominant grammar of mainstream Hindi cinema at the time.

From Raj Kapoor’s productions to commercial Hindi cinema

Before becoming an independent director, Kohli worked behind the scenes and was associated with Raj Kapoor’s productions, including Bobby, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Prem Rog. He also worked as a second-unit director on Betaab, the 1983 film that introduced Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh as leading actors.

That apprenticeship placed Kohli close to two different traditions of popular filmmaking: Raj Kapoor’s large-scale romantic and social dramas, and the action-oriented star vehicles that gained momentum during the 1980s and 1990s.

After the success of Phool Aur Kaante, he continued directing mainstream entertainers featuring some of the period’s prominent actors. His credits included Kohraam, Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Zulmi and the Govinda-led comedy Anari No. 1.

Kohli later directed the romantic drama Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa, released in 2002, followed by Woh Tera Naam Tha in 2004. The latter became his final released directorial feature.

More than the director of one famous debut

Kohli worked during a phase when mainstream Hindi films were expected to combine action, romance, comedy, family emotion and elaborate music within a single narrative. His better-known films reflect that commercial approach rather than a narrowly defined directorial signature.

His career also intersected with the early journeys of several major actors. He worked behind the camera on Betaab, directed Ajay Devgn’s debut and later brought Devgn together with Akshay Kumar in Suhaag. Those associations form an important part of his industry legacy.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Kuku Kohli will understandably be remembered first for introducing Ajay Devgn in Phool Aur Kaante. However, reducing his contribution to that single credit overlooks how closely his career was connected with Hindi cinema’s transition from the star-driven action films of the 1980s to the multi-genre blockbusters of the following decade.

The unforgettable motorcycle entrance gave Devgn an immediate visual identity, but Kohli’s subsequent collaborations helped reinforce that arrival. At a time when a newcomer’s debut film could determine how the industry perceived him, Phool Aur Kaante presented Devgn as an action star, romantic lead and emotionally grounded hero in one package.

That ability to construct a complete mainstream star vehicle remains the strongest measure of Kohli’s influence.

Sources & Verification

The report of Kuku Kohli’s death and the circumstances surrounding his hospitalisation were checked against statements attributed to his brother-in-law Balraj Irani and a spokesperson for Aruna Irani. Career information was cross-checked through contemporary reporting and publicly documented credits for his films. Conflicting reports about the precise funeral date and Kohli’s birth name were excluded.