The Aruna Irani marriage to filmmaker Kuku Kohli stayed hidden from the public for years because he was still legally tied to his first wife when their relationship began, and Aruna herself chose silence over scandal. She has now broken that silence, calling out how society always blames “the other woman” while letting the husband off easy.
Key Takeaways
- Veteran actress Aruna Irani married director Kuku Kohli, best known for “Phool Aur Kaante” and “Jeet”, but kept the union under wraps for a long stretch.
- Kuku Kohli was already married when the two fell in love, which made the Aruna Irani marriage socially explosive at the time.
- Aruna Irani has said wives typically direct their anger at “the other woman” instead of questioning their own husband’s choices.
- She has firmly rejected the “homebreaker” tag that Hindi film gossip columns pinned on her for decades.
Who Are Aruna Irani and Kuku Kohli?
Aruna Irani is one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable character actresses, with a career stretching back to the 1960s. She has played everything from the vamp to the doting mother, racking up national recognition along the way, including a National Film Award for her role in “Sardari Begum”.
Kuku Kohli is a film director who made his mark in the 1990s with “Phool Aur Kaante”, the film that launched Ajay Devgn, followed by hits like “Jeet” starring Sunny Deol and Salman Khan. He was a working name in Bollywood‘s commercial cinema wave of that decade.
Why Was the Aruna Irani Marriage Kept Secret?
According to Aruna Irani’s own recent interviews, Kuku Kohli was married when their relationship started. That single fact turned what could have been a simple love story into years of quiet reputation management.
She has explained that she chose not to announce the relationship publicly to avoid feeding into the tabloid frenzy that Bollywood affairs usually attract. Instead, the couple let their bond grow away from cameras, only for details to trickle out much later through interviews and industry chatter.
This pattern isn’t unique to her. Plenty of Hindi film personalities have gone the same route — love first, disclosure decades later — because the industry’s moral policing rarely spares women. Aruna Irani’s own career timeline, spanning over 300 films, shows just how long she operated in the public eye while managing this private chapter quietly.
Why Did She Reject the “Homebreaker” Label?
Aruna Irani has been unusually candid about being branded a homebreaker after news of her relationship with a married man surfaced. Her response has been consistent: wives, she says, almost always blame the other woman and rarely hold their own husbands accountable for the choice to stray.
It’s a sharp observation, and not a new one in Hindi cinema’s history. Similar patterns have played out with several actresses who dated married co-stars or directors, only to be vilified while the men involved faced comparatively little judgment.
A Quick Timeline of the Relationship
| Phase | What Happened |
| Early years | Aruna Irani and Kuku Kohli grow close while he is still married to his first wife. |
| Years of silence | The Aruna Irani marriage remains unannounced; both continue working in the film industry. |
| Public labelling | Industry gossip and tabloids brand Aruna Irani a “homebreaker”. |
| Recent disclosure | Aruna Irani opens up in interviews, defending her choices and criticising how society treats “the other woman”. |
An India-Specific Angle: Why This Story Still Resonates
India’s film gossip ecosystem has always been harsher on women in these situations than men. Look at how often headlines use “the other woman” but rarely “the other man” for a married male star’s affair. That imbalance is exactly what Aruna Irani is pushing back against decades later.
It also mirrors a broader cultural pattern outside cinema — in Indian households, a husband’s infidelity is frequently blamed on the woman he strayed with, not on him. Aruna Irani’s comments land at a moment when conversations about accountability in relationships are far more open than they were when her own story began.
What Films Made Kuku Kohli and Aruna Irani Household Names?
Kuku Kohli’s directorial credits include “Phool Aur Kaante” (1991), “Jeet” (1996) and “Auzaar” (1997), all firmly part of 1990s commercial Bollywood. Aruna Irani, meanwhile, built a filmography of over three decades, working with virtually every major star of Hindi cinema from the 1970s onward.
- Aruna Irani — National Award winner, known for “Sardari Begum” and “Beta”.
- Kuku Kohli — director of “Phool Aur Kaante” and “Jeet”.
- Both remained active in the industry through the years their relationship stayed private.
FAQ
Was Kuku Kohli married when he got involved with Aruna Irani?
Yes. Aruna Irani has said Kuku Kohli was still married to his first wife when their relationship began, which is why she has been called a “homebreaker” by critics over the years.
Why did Aruna Irani keep her marriage a secret?
She wanted to avoid the intense tabloid scrutiny that typically follows Bollywood relationships involving a married man, choosing privacy over a public announcement for years.
What is Aruna Irani best known for?
She is a veteran Hindi film actress and National Award winner, recognised for roles in films like “Sardari Begum” and for decades of character-actress work across Bollywood.
What films did Kuku Kohli direct?
Kuku Kohli directed “Phool Aur Kaante” (1991), which introduced Ajay Devgn, along with “Jeet” (1996) and “Auzaar” (1997).
What does Aruna Irani say about being called a homebreaker?
She has firmly rejected the label, pointing out that society and wives typically blame the other woman instead of questioning the husband’s own decision to be unfaithful.
Conclusion
The Aruna Irani marriage story is less about scandal and more about how differently India’s film industry judges men and women in the same situation. Decades later, her willingness to speak plainly about it says as much about changing attitudes as it does about her own life.