Kuku Kohli Dies at 77: ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ Director Who Launched Ajay Devgn Passes Away

Kuku Kohli, who directed Phool Aur Kaante, is dead. The filmmaker died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai and was admitted to a hospital.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuku_Kohli

Kohli is best remembered for ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ (1991), his film directorial venture that brought Ajay Devgn to Hindi cinema. It was a huge commercial success and gave audiences one of the most memorable hero introductions of the 1990s.

Ajay Devgn’s opening stunt in the film is still a signature moment. The actor balancing between two moving motorcycles immediately grabbed attention and was associated with his debut. And the movie’s success made Devgn a star.

Kuku Kohli continued to direct movies after ‘Phool Aur Kaante’. He also directed movies like Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Zulmi, Anari No. 1, Kohraam and Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa. His last directorial project was ‘Woh Tera Naam Tha’ in 2004.

Kohli was an assistant director and he had experience in Hindi films. The early work allowed him to understand the process of filmmaking before he moved into direction.

Kohli was also married to veteran actress Aruna Irani. Irani has been in Hindi films and TV for a long time.

Kohli had been treated at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. His health deteriorated there and he later suffered a cardiac arrest.

His death has brought back memories of the commercial Bollywood era of the 1990s. Kohli directed a few films throughout his career but “Phool Aur Kaante” is probably the work that is most closely associated with his name.

In Ajay Devgn's case, this film was the beginning of his career and a great journey that would take him from a small actor to the biggest actor of Hindi cinema.

The motorcycle entry from the movie still brings to mind the fans decades down the road.

Kuku Kohli’s presence in mainstream Hindi cinema and his role in the birth of Ajay Devgn ensures that his name will always have a place in one of Bollywood’s most memorable debut films.

At 77, the filmmaker leaves behind a career remembered by generations of Hindi movie lovers who are now all too well-known to generations of Hindi movie audiences.