This filmmaker worked with many big names inclduing Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth. Sadly, died at 43.
Updated: September 28, 2025 9:41 PM IST
Bollywood had so many talented filmmakers who today, with the right technology, would have left behind big names in the industry. Today, we are going to discuss one such filmmaker who passed away at the age of 46. He had many stories left to tell and several films yet to complete, including his biggest project at the time, titled Dus. If you are wondering who this man was, then he was the iconic filmmaker Mukul Anand.
Mukul Anand’s father was a Chartered Accountant. However, when Anand was young, his father severely fell ill, and as a result, Mukul had to step up. Though he dreamed of filmmaking, he had to put those ambitions on hold due to his family’s financial struggles. Instead, he started making and selling lampshades at the traffic signals on Bandra Linking Road in Mumbai, earning Rs 25 per piece.
“When I came out of school, I realised I wanted to get into films. But there was no scope since my family was in a bad state and I couldn’t become a struggler at that time,” he told Rediff, adding, “It was a very bad phase, and I can never forget it. I was happy I could put to use some of the skills I’d developed to feed my family.”
Later, Mukul entered the film industry, where he worked as an assistant with Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. He also assisted Ravi Tandon, the father of actor Raveena Tandon.
Mukul’s career breakthrough came when he did three films with Amitabh Bachchan as the lead star: Agneepath (1990), Hum (1991), and finally Khud Gawah (1992). All three movies were huge hits. The films cemented Mukul Anand’s reputation as a remarkable director, renowned for his grand scale and technical mastery.
Mukul also worked with Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, and Shah Rukh Khan in Trimurti (1995). Though the movie was a flop, Mukul refused to give up and instead gave his attention to his most ambitious project at the time — Dus.
Set against the backdrop of the escalating India-Pakistan conflict, the film featured Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt (marking his first major comeback after prison), Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tandon (playing a terrorist), and Rahul Dev Burman in his debut role.
However, sadly, Mukul passed away while filming Dus. He suffered a cardiac arrest.
