Mukul Dev ‘gone too soon, too young’: Bollywood condoles death of 54-year-old actor

Bollywood mourned the death of actor Mukul Dev, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 54. Condolence messages poured in from his co-stars and friends in the film industry who said Mukul dies “too soon, too young”.

Mukul Dev is best known for his roles in films like ‘Son of Sardaar’, ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’, and ‘Jai Ho’.

Mukul Dev's elder brother, Rahul Dev, and sister-in-law, actor Mugdha Godse, confirmed the reports of the actor's demise and said, “Our brother Mukul Dev passed away peacefully at New Delhi last night.”

He is survived by his daughter Sia Dev.

Here's how Bollywood reacted:

Manoj Bajpayee, a close friend who starred alongside him in the 1996 film Dastak, said Mukul was his “brother in spirit”.

In a post on X, Bajpayee wrote: “It’s impossible to put into words what I’m feeling. Mukul was a brother in spirit, an artist whose warmth and passion were unmatched. Gone too soon, too young.”

“Praying for strength and healing for his family and everyone grieving this loss. Miss you meri jaan…until we meet again, Om Shanti,” he added.

Sonu Sood also mourned the loss of a “true gem” and said, “RIP Mukul bhai. You were a gem. Will always miss you.” He also wrote: “Stay strong Rahul Dev bhai.”

Ajay Devgn, Mukul's co-star in Son of Sardaar, said, “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.”

Punjabi actor Gippy Grewal posted a picture of Mukul on his Instagram and wrote: “RIP Mukul Dev Ji. May his soul rest in peace.”

Mukul's close friend Vindu Dara Singh wrote: “Rest in peace my brother Mukul Dev! The time spent with you will always be cherished, and Son Of Sardaar 2 will be your swansong where you will spread joy and happiness to the viewers and make them fall down laughing!”

Actress Deepshikha Nagpal, a close friend of Mukul, shared an old photograph with the actor on Instagram and wrote: “Can't believe this. RIP.”

Kamaal R Khan also said goodbye to the actor, and wrote: “Actor Mukul Dev, known for his work in Bollywood films like Son of Sardaar, dies at 54. RIP. Alvida Mukul Bhai. Sabko Jana Hai, Kisi Ko Aaj Kisi Ko Kal.”

How did Mukul Dev die?

The circumstances surrounding Dev’s death, including the cause, are yet to be ascertained.

According to Vindu, the actor was unwell for the last eight to ten days. “He passed away at a hospital in Delhi. He was not looking after his health, he was depressed after the demise of his mother.”

“We were waiting for Mukul to join us for the photo shoot of ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ but he had stopped answering our calls,” he added.

Who was Mukul Dev?

Mukul Dev made his acting debut with the 1996 movie ‘Dastak’, co-starring Sushmita Sen and Sharad Kapoor. He was largely seen playing supporting roles in Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Telugu films and TV shows.

Some of his notable movies included Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar, Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho and Yamla Pagla Deewana, starring Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, as well as Kohram, R... Rajkumar and War Chhod Na Yaar.

He is also credited as a co-writer of filmmaker Hansal Mehta's critically acclaimed 2017 movie Omerta, starring Rajkummar Rao.

On the small screen, Dev appeared in popular daily soaps such as Gharwali Uparwali, Kumkum, Kutumb and Kasshish.