Director Kuku Kohli died on Tuesday (August 25) at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. Aruna Irani and the late filmmaker's love story and "secret" marriage often grabbed headlines back in the day. The two married in 1990 when she was 40. In an old interview that has resurfaced, Aruna Irani spoke about being his second wife and why she chose not to have children with him.
In an interview with Lehren, Aruna Irani said, "I'm a second wife's daughter. Mere papa ki do shaadiyan hui thi. First shaadi hui thi tab unko bacche nahi the toh unhone mummy se shaadi ki. Toh main paida hui aur line lag gayi. Kabhi bhi papa ko officially aap kisi ke saamne papa nahi bol sakte. Par hum acche the toh kabhi bolte the, toh mummy didn't like. She used to object us. Unhone naa bola. (My father didn't have a child with his first wife, which is why he married my mother. Then me and my siblings were born. But we were told not to call our father 'papa' publicly.)"
Speaking of not having courage like Neena Gupta, she said, "Mujhe aisa lagta tha ke mere bacche woh face nahi kare. Aaj kal toh shaadi nahi bhi hui toh bhi you can have a child. Neena Gupta ji ko dekhke mujhe lagta hai yeh courage hai. I didn't have the courage. I didn't want my child to face anything. A child's mind goes through a lot. Bacche ke bagair mujhe chal jayega but I didn't want my kid to suffer. (“I felt my children shouldn't have to face that. Nowadays, even without marriage, you can have a child. Seeing Neena Gupta ji, I felt that was courage. I didn't have that courage. I didn't want my child to suffer. A child's mind goes through a lot. I could live without children, but I didn't want my child to face pain.)"
She added, "I used to think, 'He is a married man, he has his own house. If I have my kids and if they ask about their father, uss waqt main isko kya jawab du.' Hamare bhi jhagde ho jaate. Agar mera baccha tumko chahta hai aur tum ho nahi toh what is the meaning of this relationship? We are happy without having kids. (I used to think, ‘He is a married man, he has his own house. If I have children and they ask about their father, what answer would I give?' We also had fights. If my child wanted you and you weren't there, then what is the meaning of this relationship? We were happy without having kids.)"
On Her Relationship With Kuku Kohli
In the same interview, Aruna Irani continued, "Kabhi kabhi aap woh galli mein ghus jaate ho. Kuch samajh nahi aata. One-way galli hoti hai. Aap hatna bhi chaaho toh hat nahi sakte. Insaan kabhi akela hota hai aur kisise kuch mann lag jaata hai na toh you get carried away. Aaj aapko khushi milti hai na toh aap bhool jaate ho ke kal kaisa dukh hoga." (Sometimes you walk into a lane without realising it. You don't understand anything at that moment. It turns out to be a one-way street - even if you want to step back, you can't. A person can feel lonely, and when they connect with someone, they get carried away. When you find happiness today, you forget what sorrow tomorrow might bring.")
About Kuku Kohli
Veteran filmmaker Kuku Kohli, known for his 1991 film Phool Aur Kaante, died at the age of 77, friend Ashoke Pandit said on Tuesday.
"He was feeling uncomfortable and was therefore admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital yesterday. He passed away due to a massive heart attack around 4:30 pm," Ashoke Pandit told PTI.
Kohli is survived by his wife, actress Aruna Irani, and his two daughters, Pooja and Karishma, from his first marriage to Rita Kohli.
ALSO READ | 'Kuku Kohli Didn't Tell Me He Was Married': When Aruna Irani Recalled Her First Meeting With Late Husband
