Veteran actor Aruna Irani has returned to work more than 50 days after the death of her husband, filmmaker Kuku Kohli. The director passed away on August 25 at the age of 77 following a massive heart attack. Aruna posted a video on Instagram, marking her first public remarks regarding her husband's demise, to express gratitude to her fans and well-wishers for standing by her through the trying period.
In the video shared on Sunday, the actor became emotional as she reflected on the widespread affection she received following Kohli's passing. She stated that she was deeply grateful for the love shown to her and noted that the encouragement had provided her with the strength to cope with the loss and resume her professional commitments. She also requested her supporters to continue offering the same warmth throughout her life. Numerous individuals from the television and film fraternities, alongside loyal fans, flooded the comments section with encouraging messages. Actor Sudha Chandran was among those who reached out, referring to Aruna as her idol and sending wishes for strength and love.
Aruna, who is 80 years old, appeared visibly distressed during Kohli's final rites in Mumbai, where family and friends gathered at the Oshiwara crematorium to perform the last rituals. Professionally, she was last seen earlier this year in filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's action thriller project titled O’Romeo.
The couple first crossed paths in 1990 during the production of Kohli's action-adventure film Kohram, which was released in 1991. In a previous interview from 2024, Aruna recalled that their early interactions were somewhat rocky after she had to back out of a month-long commitment for the movie, frustrating the director. Despite initial friction and her early annoyance at his continuous check-ins, their dynamic shifted over time, blossoming into romance and eventually leading to marriage.
Their union was kept private for many years due to the fact that Kohli was previously married and shared two daughters from his first marriage. In a 2023 interview, Aruna discussed the conscious decision to keep their relationship out of the public eye, noting that Kohli had fiercely defended their marriage and that she wanted to avoid causing pain to anyone. She also addressed past criticisms regarding her relationship with Kohli and the concerns raised by his first wife, asserting that accountability in a marriage belongs to both partners rather than resting solely on a third party, while emphasizing that she never intended to fracture a family.