Aruna Irani returns to work two months after husband Kuku Kohli’s death

Veteran actor Aruna Irani has gone back to work less than two months after the death of her husband, filmmaker Kuku Kohli, and has credited her fans’ affection for giving her the strength to do so.

In a short video posted on her Instagram account on Sunday, 18 October, the 80-year-old actor spoke directly to the camera and thanked well-wishers for the warmth they had shown her since Kohli’s passing. Gulf News described it as her first public message since his death in August.

“Until my last breath”

Speaking in Hindi, Irani said she had been overwhelmed by how many people had stood by her during one of the hardest periods of her life, and that this goodwill was what had allowed her to face the camera again and resume her work, according to translations published by NDTV and ThePrint. She ended with a request that her admirers keep supporting her for the rest of her life, “until my last breath”, before thanking them repeatedly.

The post drew warm responses from colleagues in the television industry. ThePrint reported that actors Sudha Chandran, Rati Pandey and Rahil Azam were among those who left messages of love and encouragement in the comments.

Irani did not say what she is working on. ThePrint noted that she has not revealed the project, and that her most recent screen appearance was in Vishal Bhardwaj’s O’Romeo, released earlier in 2026.

A sudden loss

Kohli died on Tuesday, 25 August, aged 77, following a heart attack. Gulf News, citing Irani’s brother Balraj Irani’s remarks to India Today, reported that the director had been taken to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai a day earlier after feeling unwell, having collapsed while chatting with family members. He was declared dead that evening and cremated the next afternoon, with Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Sham Kaushal and Rohit Shetty among those from the film world who came to pay their respects.

Kohli is best remembered for Phool Aur Kaante (1991), his first film as director and the movie that launched Ajay Devgn, in which Irani also appeared. His other directorial credits include Suhaag, Haqeeqat, Kohram and Anari No. 1. After his death, Devgn paid tribute on X, saying he would always be grateful for the faith Kohli had placed in him, ThePrint noted.

Irani and Kohli married in 1990. Because he was already married, with two daughters, the couple kept their marriage out of the public eye for many years. In a 2023 interview with ANI, recalled by NDTV, Irani said the decision had not been easy and that she had never wished to hurt anyone or break up another family. Kohli is survived by Irani and by his daughters, Pooja and Karishma, from his marriage to Rita Kohli, Gulf News reported.

Six decades on screen

Irani began acting as a child and went on to become one of Hindi cinema’s most familiar faces, best known for her villainous and character roles in films such as Caravan, Bobby, Beta, Raja Babu and Dil To Pagal Hai. She has also worked in Marathi and Gujarati films and built a second following on television with serials like Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand and Jhansi Ki Rani.

Sources: NDTV, Gulf News, ThePrint