Mukul Dev Death Live Updates: Salman Khan, Anupam Kher, Sushmita Sen, Ajay Devgn pay tribute to ‘wonderful soul’

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared a heartfelt post a day after actor Mukul Dev's demise. His post read, "As the weight of this loss settles in, I realise there’s still so much more I want to say about my friend Mukul. I will miss Mukul deeply. His booming laughter at our inside jokes, his unmatched gift for storytelling, that unmistakable voice… He acted in two of my unreleased films and a TV show—somehow in the shadows of it all, we became very close. We bonded over booze, broken hearts, and the foolish hope that things would one day make sense. For years, we were gym buddies, pushing each other through reps and regrets. Mukul was devastatingly handsome—his presence could light up a stadium, his charm could hold a room in thrall. He had what most people only dream of: a dream launch, big directors, prominent co-stars. He had the look, the talent, the pedigree. But his career became a collection of missed opportunities and near breakthroughs. A story of what could’ve been. A string of ‘what ifs’. And I think those what ifs chipped away at his spirit. Slowly, quietly, they filled him with a sense of defeat and resignation—an ache that often found its only solace in booze. Behind the laughter and bravado was a man struggling to reconcile with the dreams that eluded him."

Hansal added, "He was also a gifted writer. He gave me the story of Omertà back in 2003. I remember the joy in his voice when the film was finally made, the pride when he saw it with festival audiences, and that infectious excitement when his name came up in the writing credits. Every time we spoke, he’d chuckle and say, “Hansie, kya film banayi yaar. International. Soch bhi nahi sakta tha ki aisi film mein I’d have a writing credit. This is so good for me.” That credit made him feel seen. Respected. Validated. I just wish we had done more together. The last time we spoke was a few months ago. The same gregarious laugh, the same fake Feroz Khan accent we always used with each other. But behind the laughter, I sensed something heavier—a quiet sadness, an air of disappointment, a kind of loneliness he never really shared. Go well, my beautiful, broken, brilliant friend. Phir milenge."

In an interview with TOI, Rizwann Sikander, who participated with Mukul Dev in Fear Factor India, said, “Mukul bhai always had a soft corner for me during Fear Factor India. I think he saw the youngest, most adrenaline-filled, mentally strong version of me — and gave me a special place in his heart. He constantly encouraged me to push forward and never give up. I’ll never forget that he was the first to announce my victory, proud and beaming with joy. Sharing that historic win with him was the start of my career, and a memory I’ll cherish forever.He truly was a gem of a person. His presence will be missed, but his belief in me will always stay in my heart.”

Kishwer Merchant took to Instagram Stories and wrote, "Had not met u since ages... but a picture of u would always bring a smile on my face... kaise u use to imitate me, make fun of me, your stories, your energy during night shifts, and how talking about your daughter use to be Ur favourite thing!"

She added, "Mukli is what I called u, today your pic has made me sad... very sad! RIP my friend! Strength to your family to deal with this unbearable loss!"

Suniel Shetty took to X and wrote, "Absolutely shocked and heartbroken. Gone too soon. Praying for strength in this difficult time."

Pooja Bhatt paid tribute to Mukul Dev by sharing a passage from Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It read, "He spoke of very simple things-that it is right for a gull to fly,that freedom is the very nature of his being,that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside,be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form. 'Set aside, came a voice from the multitude, even if it be the law of the flock?' The only true law is that which leads to freedom,' he said. 'There is no other.' For most gulls it was not flying that matters,but eating. For this gull,though,it was not eating that mattered,but flight. Mukul Dev ? 17 September 1970-23 May 2025."

In a video shared on social media, Anupam Kher spoke about Mukul Dev. He said, "Mera dost Mukul Dev nahi hai, it's unbelievable. It's so sad...Bohut zinda dil insaan hai, tha. Kaese insaan ‘tha’ hojata hai, samajh hi nahi aata (My friend Mukul Dev isn't there. He was a lively person. How a person goes from is to was, I don't understand)."

The actor added, "Humne bohut waqt saath guzara Chaar Din Ki Chandni film mein, aur bhi 2-3 filmon mein. Uske bawajood bhi because hum dost bane toh hum 2-3 mahine mein ekbaar phone pe baat karlete the. Aur woh humesha acchi khushi ki baat karta tha, positive tha (We spent a lot of time together during Chaar Din Ki Chandni, and 2-3 other films. Despite that, since we became good friends, we used to talk once every 2-3 months. He used to talk nicely, he was positive)." 

Arshad Warsi took to Instagram to express his grief on the demise of Mukul Dev. "I was really fond of him. He was a friend, colleague, a wonderful person with a beautiful soul… may his soul rest in peace," he wrote on the social media platform.

Salman Khan, who shared screen space with Mukul Dev in the 2014 film Jai Ho, took to Instagram Stories to post a still of himself and Mukul from the film. Alongside the photo, he wrote, “Miss you, my dear brother Mukul. Rest in peace.”

Chandrachur Singh took to Instagram to mourn the demise of Mukul Dev. His post read, "My dearest brother Mukul, what moments we shared. You are such an integral part of my life, such a long history. I'm deeply shocked and saddened that you are not with me in body. You touched so many lives, your spirit lives on forever. Keep flying my brother till we meet again. May god grant peace to your family, and peace for your soul hence onward lots of love always."

Kunal Kohli mourned Mukul Dev's death and wrote, "Mukul Dev gone too soon. Here are some pics of a holiday in Dalhousie we took before we both entered films. I must’ve been in college. Mukul and my cousin Mohnish in the 11th or 12th in St. Columbus. Delhi. memories."

Mukul Dev's brother and actor Rahul Dev, who lost his wife to cancer many years back, had spoken about how he values life. In an older interview, he had said, " I have lost a life partner to a disease. I truly believe this from the core of my heart when we say that there is no soul, it's just a shadow. But I haven't seen all this. Tangibly, I haven't seen that there is a soul inside. I haven't had any real experience." He added, "But I know that when someone is sick, no matter how many people say they should leave and all those complaints people do, we saw in the lockdown, when this virus came, did truly anyone want to die? Did truly anyone really want to not survive? Did truly anyone not want to live another day for a brighter sun? I mean, I have lost a life partner to a disease. So, you know, I think, I love my body a lot. I feel like it's a gift. A very rare gift, a very rare blessing, pronounced to us by somebody above us."

Mukul Dev shared a deep bond with his parents, and spoke about them often in his interviews. The actor wasn’t at peace after father’s passing, relied on mother during period of isolation. READ MORE

Mukul Dev made a striking Bollywood debut in 1996 with the psychological thriller Dastak, opposite Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. The actor took to her Instagram story to post, "Rest in peace you wonderful soul."

Hansal Mehta mourned the loss of Mukul Dev. "My handsome friend Mukul. Gone too soon. Words fail the grief I feel right now at the loss of an unrealised talent, an underrated actor, a writer whose amazing stories will remain untold and a very dear friend. A deep personal loss," he wrote on X.

Actor Rana Ranbir shared a post in Punjabi that read, "an amazing actor. So very sorry. Waheguru. Goodbye dear brother. #mukaldev."

Neil Nitin Mukesh posted on X, "Really upset with the sad news of dear Mukul leaving us so soon. A powerhouse performer and a lovely person. My deepest condolences to @RahulDevRising @mugdhagodse267 and the entire family. God be with you all during these tough times. ??????. Om Shanti."

Mukul Dev played a cop in Dastak; coincidentally his father was also a policeman. Recalling his first day of shooting at the police station, Vikram Bhatt told Filmfare, "He had to walk in, addressing a crime scene while nonchalantly eating breakfast. He nailed it with such panache. He possessed a charm that was both captivating and endearing. Over the course of filming, Mukul and I became good friends."

Jr NTR and Mukul Dev worked together in the 2010 Telugu film Adhurs. The actor posted on X, "Saddened by the passing of Mukul Dev garu. Remembering our time in Adhurs and his commitment to the craft. My condolences to his family. Om Shanti. ?."

Mukul Dev was a versatile actor who turned to TV after being abandoned by Bollywood. He struggled to secure leading roles in mainstream Bollywood. A significant setback came during the making of Kya Kehna in 2000, when he was replaced by Saif Ali Khan as producer Ramesh Taurani reportedly fired him for arriving late on set. The early 2000s saw Mukul transition to television, with roles in popular serials like Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Pyar Zindagi Hai. He credited television for revitalizing his career. READ MORE

Kangana Ranaut shared a photo of the late actor Mukul Dev and wrote, "Terribly sad. RIP Mukul ji."

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra posted on X, "Gone too soon . Hey , Rahul may you and his family have strength to bear this loss @RahulDevRising."

Mukul Dev spoke about ‘dark forebodings’ in his last Instagram post before death. Fans of the actor have been flooding the comments section of his last post and expressed their grief over his tragic death. One user wrote, “RIP, sir. One of the finest actors since the 90s,” while many users shared GIFs of crying with the message ‘Rest In Peace’. READ MORE

Punjabi actor Gippy Grewal shared a photo of Mukul Dev on his Instagram story and wrote, "RIP Mukul Dev ji. May his soul rest in peace. Gone too soon."

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt paid an emotional tribute to late actor Mukul Dev and told Filmfare, "My heart sank when I received the message on set: "RIP Mukul Dev." I must have reread it several times, hoping it was a mistake, before a wave of disbelief washed over me. Surely, it was just a baseless rumour. I immediately started calling people who might know. Slowly, the confirmation trickled in – my friend, Mukul Dev Kaushal, was gone."

Actor Jayvijay Sachan shared a photo from a film sets with Mukul Dev and mourned Mukul's death, "It’s shocking to hear that Mukul Dev has passed away. We worked together on one project a few years back, he was a great actor and a good man. May his soul rest in peace!"

While that officially marked the beginning of his career as an actor, not many know that Mukul had earlier shot for a film titled Naam Kya Hai, which was bankrolled by Amitabh Bachchan’s company ABCL. However, the film got shelved. In an old interaction with Planet Bollywood, Mukul shared that the film, produced by ABCL, was supposed to be his acting debut in the Hindi film industry, but the film never saw the light of day despite being completed, as Big B’s production company ran into a financial crisis.  READ MORE

Ajay Devgn reacted on the demise of his Son of Sardaar co-star and posted via X, "Still trying to process it… Mukul. It’s all too soon and sudden. You had a way of making everything lighter, even on the heaviest days. Om Shanti ?."

Actor Rahul Bhat posted on X, "Still remember that flight we took together…We laughed nonstop, especially at that song:“Yeh jo silli silli aundhi hai hawa… kithe koi raundha hovega” And we kept teasing—“Kithe, kyun koi raundha hovega?” Why would anyone cry in a wind like that? But today… there’s no wind. And my heart is crying—for you. That laughter, that moment—it’ll never fade. Goodbye, Mukul Dev. Gone far too soon. Rest easy, my friend. ? #mukuldev #rip."

The actor shared in an old interview with Eastern Eye, "The day my daughter was born, back in 2002, is etched in my memory. It was December 30 and I was in Delhi. I got a call late in the night from my ex-wife and flew down immediately. The next morning the moment when I held her in my arms just aces everything else that has happened to me." Talking more about his daughter, the actor added, "I remember with pride the moment when my daughter was getting into the Sriram school in Delhi. It was a difficult thing. She passed with flying colours. She was still a young kid, so we were so worried if she would get it, but she did through her sheer IQ. That’s one moment I can hardly forget."

The actor shared in an old interview with Eastern Eye, "The day my daughter was born, back in 2002, is etched in my memory. It was December 30 and I was in Delhi. I got a call late in the night from my ex-wife and flew down immediately. The next morning the moment when I held her in my arms just aces everything else that has happened to me." Talking more about his daughter, the actor added, "I remember with pride the moment when my daughter was getting into the Sriram school in Delhi. It was a difficult thing. She passed with flying colours. She was still a young kid, so we were so worried if she would get it, but she did through her sheer IQ. That’s one moment I can hardly forget."

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh posted on X, "Heartbreaking... Saddened... #MukulDev... A talented actor who had the privilege of working with legends like #DilipKumar [in #Qila] and #AmitabhBachchan [in #Kohram] early in his career... Heartfelt condolences to his family... #OmShanti ???."

Actor Viineet Kumar Siingh posted on X, "#MukulDev's journey from modeling to impactful roles across Hindi, Punjabi, and South Indian films showcased his immense talent and dedication. His sudden departure at 54 is a profound loss to the entertainment industry. May his soul rest in peace. Strength the entire family. ??Om Shanti."

Vindu Dara Singh shared his reaction on Mukul Dev's death and told SCREEN, "It is very sad, our heart is broken. We just did a movie, Son Of Sardaar 2 in August last year, we spent 30 days 24x7 together. After that we were waiting for the movie to release and he is gone. I wasn't aware of the hospitalization, but I knew he was not well. We had a photoshoot, and he didn't show up, that's when we got to know that he was not well."

Vindu Dara Singh told SCREEN, "He was in depression after his mother passed away, he never let that go, was very close to his parents. He would feel alone, and then he would start on a drink and have gutka, then he wouldn't stop. There was nobody to control him. He was such a wonderful guy and has done a fantastic job in Son Of Sardaar 2. Everybody will be clapping and laughing wheb he speaks, sadly, he won't be there to enjoy that success."

Film critic and journalist Mayank Shekhar posted on X, "Mukul Dev & SRK went to the same Delhi school (St Columba’s)—although the latter was much senior; had a profound impact on Mukul’s life (from a distance), as he’d tell me. Mukul started out as a bona fide Bollywood star w/ Mahesh Bhatt’s Dastak (1996), opposite Sushmita Sen, whilst she had just won Miss Universe, making her own film debut alongside. Mukul played a cop in the film. That’s what his dad was, with the Delhi Police. Mukul himself trained as a commercial pilot & could’ve easily carried on that flight path. But he chose movies (& modelling). He also chose to work, without ever thinking so hard about where he was, once (lead/star), to doing variety roles, later (in multiple language, including television). He worshipped work, for work’s sake. There was so much to learn from Mukul; chiefly, equanimity. I hosted a masterclass with him in Dehradun once, for a film festival, and we continued chatting through the night, at an after-party hosted by a friend of mine at Doon School. Also, visited his Andheri home a couple of times, where you could instantly tell—a generous host, great conversationalist, and more than everything else, a happy, likeable & fun soul. Go well, Mukul. See you on the other side!"

Mukul Dev once got a call Mr Amitabh Bachchan’s office for a film. "When I was in Mumbai I got a call from Mr Amitabh Bachchan’s office, saying they wanted me to do a film for them. It was my first film, which unfortunately didn't see the light of the day. For the first time, I was sitting next to Mrs Jaya Bachchan and Mr Amitabh Bachchan walked out, and I can never ever forget that moment," shared the actor in his interview with Eastern Eye.

Talking about being a pilot, the actor once shared in an interview with Eastern Eye, "I was a pilot before I became an actor. So I will never forget clearing my flying academy exams and getting a scholarship to become a commercial pilot. I could have not have asked for anything better. I was ranked number four among so many pilots across the country, from one of the best training schools called Indira Gandhi Udaan Academy. I was so thrilled to know that I would be a commercial pilot."

Actor Sonu Sood took to his X account to post, "RIP Mukul bhai ? You were a gem. Will always miss you. Stay strong @RahulDevRising bhai."

In an old interview with Eastern Eye, Mukul Dev once talked about some of his most memorable life moments. Talking about his 'heroic father' he said, "I will never forget my father getting gallantry awards for his bravery. There was a particular one he received for saving an entire police station at Daryagunj, which was surrounded and supposed to be lit up. He went there and managed the entire mob alone, and got a gallantry award for that. That’s something I remember well."

Deepshikha said while she has not spoken to the family, she is told that Mukul Dev suffered a heart attack. "But this is shocking. I have no clue about him being hospitalized, and that’s what I am wondering... what kind of friends. I am so upset, that I am hearing from people he was hospitalized and got a heart attack. I am also trying to find out, but everyone in the family too wouldn't be in a right state of mind. It is a big loss."

Actor Deepshikha Nagpal told SCREEN, "We were always in touch on the phone and over WhatsApp groups. But he never mentioned about his health, I kept seeing his posts where he was working and doing a good job. Couldn't meet him since 6-7 months since I was shooting and he was travelling. None of us had a clue that he was unwell, he was always a very happy and positive person. In the morning I called up on his number thinking he would pick up and say it's fake news."

Rahul Dev took to his Instagram story to post, "We are deeply saddened to inform you that our brother Mukul Dev passed away peacefully last night in New Delhi. He is survived by his daughter, Sia Dev, and will be dearly missed by his siblings Rashmi Kaushal, Rahul Dev, and his nephew Sidhant Dev."

While acting was his profession, actor Mukul Dev was also a trained pilot from the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi. He had shared a post of an aircraft with the caption, "Echo November India. She gave me wings and taught me a few tricks in the skies. #learningtofly."

Mukul Dev was brother of actor Rahul Dev and their father, Hari Dev, was an assistant commissioner of police, and was the one who introduced him to Afghan culture. Reportedly, a biopic on his father was in the making.

Actor Mukul Dev's last Instagram post was made on February 26 where he was seen flying an aircraft cross-country. The caption read, "And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too.... I'll see you on the dark side of the moon."

Actor Vindu Dara Singh confirmed the news of actor Mukul Dev's death and paid tribute on social media. "Rest in peace my brother #MukulDev ! The time spent with you will always be cherished and #SonOfSardaar2 will be your swansong where you will spread joy and happiness to the viewers and make them fall down laughing !," wrote the actor.

Industry tracker Vamsi Kaka shared via X, "Popular actor #MukulDev passed away last night at 54 due to health related issues. He is known in Tollywood for his roles in Krishna, Adhurs and Ek Niranjan. Om Shanti."