Rahul Dev says he can’t let brother Mukul Dev’s death overwhelm him after losing wife, parents: ‘I can’t leave business, don’t have years on my side’

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Rahul married his wife, Rina Dev, in 1998, and together the couple raised their son, Siddhant. Sadly, Rina passed away in 2009 due to cancer, which forced Rahul to take a sabbatical from work that lasted almost five years. However, the actor admitted that times are different now, and he can’t afford to take that kind of break after Mukul’s passing. “It’s easy to work hard. But because I’ve been through it once, I took a drastic step. I was gone for four and a half years. Now I can’t afford that. I don’t have the years on my side to leave the business. You become wiser. You realise it’s all part of life. Nothing really ends; it just takes another form, and you have to wish that form well,” he said.

The actor then talked about his relationship with Mukul. “See, he was the ladla (darling) of the house. He was two years younger than me. But I don’t know why it felt like I was responsible for him. I used to lecture him a lot about smoking and exercising more. But after a while, whether it’s your siblings or your children, when they are adults, one thing you must give them is space. It’s difficult to do that, but it is very necessary.” He added that no matter how bad the situation might be, the only way forward is to accept the consequences and keep working,” he said.

He concluded, “Our emotions take us somewhere, but I think the key is to face them bravely. Not with a pinch of salt, but with love. To give love to that situation as much as you can. That’s the only way forward.” Mukul was seen posthumously in the recent film Son of Sardaar 2.

Mukul Dev’s death

Mukul Dev died at the age of 54 in Delhi in May this year. The Son of Sardaar 2 actor had shifted from Mumbai to Delhi in 2019 to take care of his parents. He had reportedly turned into a recluse after they passed away.

Rahul, in an interview to ETimes, spoke about his death earlier, “He was in the ICU for eight and a half days. Medically, it was a result of poor eating habits. In the last four-five days, he had stopped eating altogether. He felt lonely, and he had lost interest in life. He turned down several work offers.”