Director Rono Mukherjee passes away at 83; Ayan Mukerji and Tanishaa Mukerji attend uncle's funeral in Mumbai
Veteran filmmaker Rono Mukherjee, who is known for directing films like Haiwan (1977) and Tu Hi Meri Zindagi (1965), passed away in Mumbai on May 28 at the age of 83. He had reportedly been suffering from age-related health issues for the past few months.
The Mukherjee family, one of Bollywood's most illustrious film dynasties, came together to pay their last respects to the late director. His daughter, actress Sharbani Mukherjee, was seen surrounded by cousins and close family members during the final rites.
Kajol absent due to film promotions, others attend despite rain
While cousins
Tanishaa Mukerji
and filmmaker Ayan Mukerji were spotted braving the rainy streets of Mumbai to attend the funeral, Kajol couldn't be present due to her promotional commitments for her upcoming film Maa.
However, the bond between the family members was evident in their quiet solidarity at the somber occasion.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ETimes (@etimes)
Filmmaker
Ashutosh Gowariker
, who is married to
Sunita Gowariker
, daughter of Deb Mukherjee, was also seen at the funeral. That makes him brother-in-law to Ayan Mukerji, who had lost his father, Deb Mukherjee, just a few months ago in March.
A year of loss for the Mukherjee family
Rono Mukherjee's passing marks the second major loss for the Mukherjee family in 2024, following the death of his younger brother, actor Deb Mukherjee, earlier this year on March 14. The family has long held a significant place in Bollywood history, with stalwarts like Joy Mukherjee, Shomu Mukherjee, and their descendants carrying forward the legacy.
Check out our list of the
latest Hindi
,
English
,
Tamil
,
Telugu
,
Malayalam
, and
Kannada movies
. Don't miss our picks for the
best Hindi movies
,
best Tamil movies,
and
best Telugu films
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Abhishek Banerjee, Rana Daggubati react to row over Kamal Haasan's Kannada comment: ‘Same about Marathi-Bihari…'
Actor Kamal Haasan finds himself in the midst of a language row ahead of the release of his film Thug Life. The Mani Ratnam-directed film has been barred from release in Karnataka, with Kamal doubling down and not apologising for a statement he made on Kannada being born out of Tamil. Recently, the Karnataka HC slammed his statement and called him out for not apologising. In an interview with India Today, Rana Daggubati and Abhishek Banerjee, however, said this when asked about it. (Also Read: 'I thank the people of Tamil Nadu for supporting me': Kamal Haasan in 1st press meet after Kannada language row) When asked to comment on Kamal's language row, Rana questioned why actors are being looked up to for the way society lives instead of scholars or politicians. He said, 'Now, social media has become a place to make an opinion. Earlier, you didn't have that. Anything gets touchy and political quite quickly. If the media and the news, and people become smarter (and understand) that actors are not the ones to advocate for the way society lives - it will be a better place. I think you should look at scholars, politicians and learned men and women to lead a way into society.' His Rana Naidu co-star Abhishek also agreed with Rana and compared it to the Marathi-Bihari conflict in Maharashtra and said, 'When I came to Bombay many years back, I heard the same thing about the Marathi-Bihari and Kannada-Tamil conflict, which has been going on. I feel it's completely worthless and useless. People who don't have anything better to do, will just try and get attention while doing this.' He also stated that language is great when used to educate people and cultivate culture, rather than to cause divide. Thug Life will be released across the country on 5 June except for Karnataka. It remains to be seen if the move will affect its box office collections.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ram Gopal Varma claims South cinema thrived by remaking Amitabh Bachchan classics: 'Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao did remakes, became demigods'
Ram Gopal Varma reveals South Indian cinema's early reliance on remaking Amitabh Bachchan's Bollywood hits, which propelled stars like Rajinikanth to fame. While Bollywood directors were influenced by foreign cinema, the South focused on mass-appeal storytelling. Varma also recounts a producer's skepticism towards 'Pushpa: The Rise,' highlighting differing expectations in the industry. The Indian film industry is a complex tapestry of diverse languages, cultures, and storytelling styles. While Bollywood often dominates headlines, the Southern film industries have carved out their own powerful space, producing blockbuster hits and cultivating larger-than-life stars. Yet, beneath this success lies a shared history of inspiration, imitation, and adaptation that shaped both worlds. Legendary filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma sheds light on the fascinating journey of South Indian cinema, revealing how it once thrived by remaking iconic Bollywood films—particularly those starring Amitabh Bachchan—and how these influences continue to resonate today. In conversation with IndiaTV Showbiz, RGV recently observed that in the early days, all four South Indian film industries frequently remade Amitabh Bachchan 's popular films from the 1970s and 1980s. Major stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao, and Rajkumar rose to fame by starring in these remakes. In the 1990s, during Amitabh Bachchan's extended five-year hiatus, music companies began producing films primarily to promote their soundtracks—Maine Pyar Kiya being a notable example. Meanwhile, the South continued to churn out 'masala' films inspired by Bachchan's style, which helped cement their leading actors as demigods. According to Varma, this pattern of drawing from Bachchan's legacy persists even today. Varma also pointed out that young Bollywood directors of that era had greater exposure to foreign cinema, thanks to their English proficiency and urban upbringing. In contrast, he noted that many commercial filmmakers in the South were less exposed to global cinematic trends and tended to focus more on grassroots, mass-appeal storytelling. The filmmaker also recalled an incident involving an unnamed producer's reaction to the film Pushpa: The Rise, directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun . A few days before the film's release, the producer reportedly expressed strong skepticism, predicting that audiences would reject the movie. His criticism was not aimed at the actor himself, but rather at the unconventional portrayal of the protagonist—someone chewing paan rather than the typical six-pack hero image. According to Varma, the producer's judgment was clouded by preconceived notions of what audiences expect, rather than the actual quality or content of the film. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Janhvi Kapoor Calls Sridevi ‘Fairy Princess', Gushes Over Jacket Inspired By Her Iconic Film
Last Updated: In the Instagram post, Janhvi expressed her admiration not just for the jacket but also for the film that holds a special place in her heart. Janhvi Kapoor is paying a heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Sridevi, and her timeless legacy. The actress recently shared a series of photos flaunting a custom-made denim jacket inspired by Sridevi's 1990 Telugu fantasy hit Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, which starred Chiranjeevi alongside her. In the Instagram post, Janhvi expressed her admiration not just for the jacket but also for the film that holds a special place in her heart. 'Obsessed with this jacket!!!! Obsessssssssed with this movie!!!! I had the pleasure of rewatching the rereleased print a couple days back and was reminded of the magic created by the whole team," she wrote. Recalling her mother's ethereal screen presence, she added, 'Mumma is like an angel fairy princess and so funny and so cute." Janhvi didn't stop at praising just her mother, she also applauded Chiranjeevi's iconic performance and the rest of the film's team. 'Chiranjeevi Konidela sir and his inimitable humour, bravado and swagger and both of them together Raghavendra sirs vision Amrish Puri sir the music, sets, costumes, story!!! All the actors!!!!!" she continued. Janhvi also lauded the team behind the film's revival, saying, 'The revival of this new print couldn't have been executed by more able hands and is a gift to cinema lovers today, it felt like a visual spectacle that would give our contemporary films a run for their money." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Janhvi Kapoor (@janhvikapoor) Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, a beloved cult classic, was recently re-released in theatres, giving Janhvi the opportunity to experience her mother's legendary performance on the big screen once again. On the professional front, Janhvi Kapoor is currently riding high. She was last seen in Devara: Part 1 alongside Jr NTR and has several upcoming films lined up. These include Param Sundari with Sidharth Malhotra, Homebound with Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari with Varun Dhawan, and Peddi with Ram Charan. First Published: June 04, 2025, 21:08 IST
