Kaurjenni51 at 04:44, 6 April 2026

2026-04-06T04:44:52Z

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{{Short description|Indian film director (born 1949)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kuku Kohli
| image = Kuku Kohli Imppa function photos 2023.jpg
| caption = Kohli in 2023
| birth_name = Avtar Kohli
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1949|06|04}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| other_names = Avtar Kohli
| occupation = Director, producer
| spouse = [[Aruna Irani]] (m.1990)<ref name="hindustantimes.com">{{cite web |title=Aruna Irani on husband Kuku: 'He didn't tell me that he was married' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/aruna-irani-talks-about-husband-kuku-kohli-after-his-first-wife-s-death-he-didn-t-tell-me-that-he-was-married-101645339939699.html |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |date=20 February 2022 |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816131808/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/aruna-irani-talks-about-husband-kuku-kohli-after-his-first-wife-s-death-he-didn-t-tell-me-that-he-was-married-101645339939699.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| children = 2
| relatives = [[List of Hindi film clans#Roy–Joshi–Irani-Desai family|Roy–Joshi–Irani-Desai family]]
| years_active = 1973–present
| known_for =
| notable_works = ''[[Phool Aur Kaante]]''
}}

'''Avtar "Kuku" Kohli''' (born 4 June 1949) is a director, writer, editor and screenwriter in [[Cinema of India|Indian cinema]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kuku Kohli|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebritymicro/films/id/24552|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219044229/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebritymicro/films/id/24552|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 February 2015|website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|accessdate=16 December 2012}}</ref> He was born in [[Peshawar]]. He gave [[Ajay Devgan]] his first break in the 1991 Bollywood film ''[[Phool Aur Kaante]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tuesday Trivia: When Ajay Devgn replaced Akshay Kumar in his debut film Phool Aur Kaante |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/tuesday-trivia-when-ajay-devgn-replaced-akshay-kumar-in-his-debut-film-phool-aur-kante-1717434-2020-09-01?onetap=true |website=India Today |language=en |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107100335/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/tuesday-trivia-when-ajay-devgn-replaced-akshay-kumar-in-his-debut-film-phool-aur-kante-1717434-2020-09-01?onetap=true |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ajay Devgn's 30-year-old Phool Aur Kaante split entry will always be iconic. On Monday Masala |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/ajay-devgn-s-30-year-old-phool-aur-kaante-split-entry-will-always-be-iconic-on-monday-masala-1879606-2021-11-22 |website=India Today |language=en |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107101757/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/ajay-devgn-s-30-year-old-phool-aur-kaante-split-entry-will-always-be-iconic-on-monday-masala-1879606-2021-11-22 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Career==
Early in his career, he worked under [[Raj Kapoor]] for many years where he learned his skills.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Talent, Old Virture|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/02/05/stories/2004020500070200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040501141839/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/02/05/stories/2004020500070200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 May 2004|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2004-02-05|accessdate=16 December 2012}}</ref>
Kuku Kohli has been in the film industry for more than 30 years.
He was the second unit director of the film ''[[Betaab]]'' which was the launch pad of [[Sunny Deol]] and [[Amrita Singh]] and catapulted both into stardom as it was a golden jubilee film. Another film was ''[[Arjun (1985 film)|Arjun]]'' starring [[Sunny Deol]] and [[Dimple Kapadia]], was a silver jubilee film. He, then, directed ''[[Phool Aur Kaante]]'' which achieved diamond jubilee status and elevated the visibility of [[Ajay Devgan]]. After this, he directed ''[[Kohraam]]'' starring [[Dharmendra]], ''[[Suhaag (1994 film)|Suhaag]]'' starring [[Ajay Devgan]], [[Akshay Kumar]], [[Karishma Kapoor]], [[Nagma]] was again a golden jubilee. ''[[Haqeeqat (1995 film)|Haqeeqat]]'' starred [[Ajay Devgan]] and [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]]. It was nominated in 7 categories including best director for the [[Filmfare Awards]]. Kohli was also nominated as the best director of the year for the same film for the [[Screen Awards]]. His directorial venture was ''[[Zulmi]]'' starring [[Akshay Kumar]] and [[Twinkle Khanna]]. This film had also run successfully everywhere.

His next film was ''[[Anari No.1]]'' starring [[Govinda]] in a double role. Since then he had made ''[[Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa]]''. Music maestros [[Nadeem-Shravan]] made a comeback into the industry with this film. His last directorial was ''[[Woh Tera Naam Tha]]'' starring [[Arjan Bajwa]] and [[Kanchi Kaul]].

==Personal life==
Kohli married actress [[Aruna Irani]] in 1990 and the couple have no children. This is his second marriage.<ref name="hindustantimes.com">{{cite web |title=Aruna Irani on husband Kuku: 'He didn't tell me that he was married' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/aruna-irani-talks-about-husband-kuku-kohli-after-his-first-wife-s-death-he-didn-t-tell-me-that-he-was-married-101645339939699.html |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |date=20 February 2022 |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=16 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816131808/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/aruna-irani-talks-about-husband-kuku-kohli-after-his-first-wife-s-death-he-didn-t-tell-me-that-he-was-married-101645339939699.html |url-status=live }}</ref> His children from his first marriage with Rita Kohli are daughters Pooja Kohli, a producer, and Karishma Kohli, a filmmaker who has been an assistant director in movies like ''[[Ek Tha Tiger]]'' (2012) and ''[[Bajrangi Bhaijaan]]'' (2015), both by [[Kabir Khan (director)|Kabir Khan]], and has also co-directed the [[Netflix]] series [[The Fame Game (TV series)|''The Fame Game'']] (2022). Karishma married actor Mikhail Yawalkar in 2025.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=April 2025 |title=Who Is Karishma Kohli? Know About Filmmaker & Katrina Kaif's Friend Who Married Actor Mikhail Yawalkar |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/entertainment/bollywood/who-is-karishma-kohli-know-about-filmmaker-katrina-kaifs-friend-who-married-actor-mikhail-yawalkar/ar-AA1DiDrX?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 |access-date=30 July 2025 |website=MSN |publisher=MSN Entertainment}}</ref>

==See also==
[[Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Indo-Asian News Service |url=https://ians.in/vmpl/imppa-celebrates-achievements-sets-new-goals-annual-general-meeting |website=ians.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=IMPPA Annual General Meeting of EC Member |url=https://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/imppa-annual-general-meeting-of-ec-member/81878675.html |website=Ahmedabad Mirror |language=en}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Director===
* ''[[Phool Aur Kaante]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Kohraam]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Suhaag (1994 film)|Suhaag]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Haqeeqat (1995 film)|Haqeeqat]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Anari No.1]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Zulmi]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Woh Tera Naam Tha]]'' (2004)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|nm0463315|Kuku Kohli}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kohli, Kuku}}
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Indian male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Peshawar]]
[[Category:People from Kapurthala]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]

Kuku Kohli - Revision history

Kaurjenni51 at 04:44, 6 April 2026