Veteran actress Aruna Irani arrived visibly grief-stricken at a Mumbai crematorium on 26 August 2025 for the last rites of her husband, filmmaker Kuku Kohli, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77 following a cardiac arrest. The funeral drew quiet mourning from the film fraternity as one of Hindi cinema's lesser-celebrated directors was laid to rest.

Scenes From the Crematorium

Footage from the ceremony showed Aruna, dressed in white, being helped out of a car by those around her. She was seen holding someone's hand as she walked slowly toward the crematorium, visibly overcome with emotion. The images offered a rare public glimpse into a relationship the couple had kept largely private for decades.

Kuku Kohli's Legacy in Hindi Cinema

Kuku Kohli is best remembered for directing the 1991 action-romance Phool Aur Kaante, which marked the screen debut of Ajay Devgn. The film became a defining moment of early-1990s Bollywood and launched one of the industry's most enduring careers. His other directorial credits include Haqeeqat, Suhaag, Zulmi, Anari No. 1, Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa, and Woh Tera Naam Tha — a body of work spanning mainstream action and romance across two decades.

A Love Story That Began on Set

Aruna had spoken candidly about her relationship with Kuku in earlier interviews, including an appearance on the singing reality show Indian Idol earlier this year. She revealed that the two initially shared what she described as a 'love-hate relationship.' She recalled that Kuku would make actors wait on set until Dharmendra arrived, which frustrated her as she was simultaneously juggling multiple film commitments. Over time, Kuku's gestures of consolation softened the equation between them.

Recounting a pivotal moment, Aruna said she and co-star Suresh Bhatt were joking about Kuku on set when he asked what they were discussing. Bhatt jokingly told him they were admiring how handsome he looked in white. Aruna recalled: 'He seriously thought ki main unki tareef kar rahi hoon… then ahista-ahista woh soft hone lage, jab woh soft hone lage to main soft ho gayi… aur pata nahi kab chakkar chal gaya.'

A Marriage Kept Out of the Spotlight

Aruna and Kuku married in 1990, when she was 40. Their union remained largely under wraps for years. Aruna had acknowledged that Kuku was already married with children when they first met, and that she was initially unaware of his first family. She later explained that she chose not to speak publicly about the relationship out of respect for his first wife, Rita Kohli, while she was alive. The couple's story, she said, was one she felt deserved discretion rather than disclosure.

Notably, when host Aditya Narayan asked her on Indian Idol about her experience working with Kuku, she responded with characteristic wit: 'Romance wala experience ya director wala?' — a line that drew warmth from the audience and offered a rare window into a relationship that had stayed quietly offscreen for much of its existence.

With Kuku Kohli's passing, Hindi cinema loses a filmmaker whose commercial instincts shaped the careers of major stars, even as his personal life remained one of the industry's more quietly kept stories.