Rono Mukherjee passes away: All you want to know about veteran filmmaker related to Ayan Mukerji and Kajol

Trigger warning: This article contains mention of death.

A couple of months after Ayan Mukerji's father, Deb Mukherjee's, demise, his uncle, Rono Mukherjee, also passed away in Mumbai. He breathed his last today, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The reason for his death is yet unknown, but the tragic incident has sent shock waves through the entire Mukherjee family. Soon after, the family members of the Mukherjee family, including the War 2 director, Ashutosh Gowariker, and more, arrived to pay their last respects.

Who was Rono Mukherjee?

Rono Mukherjee was the father of actress Sharbani Mukherji, known for her appearances in films such as Mohandas, Border, and God Only Knows!, among others. He was also a veteran filmmaker who directed two films in his career, Tu Hi Meri Zindagi and Haiwan, which were released in 1965 and 1977, respectively.

About Rono Mukherjee's directorial ventures

The 1965-released Rono Mukherjee directorial Tu Hi Meri Zindagi featured his brother, Deb Mukherjee, Nivedita, Libi Rana, Salome Roy Kapur, M.B. Shetty, Gajanan Jagirdar, and others in key roles. The drama film has a rating of 6.0/10 on IMDb.

Meanwhile, his second directorial Haiwan was released in 1977. The musical thriller featured his brother 
Laxmi Chhaya, Manik Dutt, Padma Khanna, Deb Mukherjee, Prema Narayan, and Nazneen in the key roles. Additionally, it featured his brother, Joy Mukherjee, in a special appearance. 

About Rono Mukherjee's family legacy

Albeit Rono Mukherjee led a very low-key life away from media attention, his familial contribution to Indian cinema can never be overlooked. The late director belonged to the respected Mukherjee-Samarth family. His cousins included Ram Mukherjee (Rani Mukerji's father), Shyam Mukherjee, Gitanjali Mukherjee, Subhash Mukherjee, and Sanjoy Mukherjee.

He was the brother of Shomu Mukherjee (Kajol's father), Subbir Mukherjee, Joy Mukherjee, and Deb Mukherjee (Ayan Mukherjee's father), all of whom played various significant roles in the Indian film industry. This naturally relates him to several Bollywood names, including Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Tanishaa Mukerji, and filmmaker Ayan Mukerji as their uncle.

For the uninitiated, Rono's father, Sashadhar Mukherjee, was a pioneering producer in Indian cinema, and their cinematic roots spanned acting, direction, and production.

Rono Mukherjee's family members arrive for his last rites

Despite the incessant rains in Mumbai, soon after the demise of Rono Mukherjee, Ayan Mukerji and Tanishaa Mukerji arrived to be with their cousin and actress, Sharbani Mukherji.

In a video shared by the paps, the War 2 director came out of his car and held his umbrella. He was followed by Tanishaa, who was also captured while she made her way inside the cremation ground. Both of them were seen in white outfits, while Ayan opted for a white kurta pajama, and Tanishaa was seen in a traditional suit.

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Notably, Kajol, who happens to share a close bond with Sharbani Mukherjee, was nowhere to be seen. It appears that the actress was unable to attend the last rites due to prior commitments. However, their bond on the annual Durga Puja always caught everyone's attention.

In addition to this, director Ashutosh Gowariker, accompanied by his wife Sunita Gowariker, also arrived to pay their last respects to Rono Mukherjee. In case you didn't know, Sunita Gowariker is the sister of director Ayan Mukherjee. 

Sunita was seen in a white coordinated set, and the Lagaan director was seen in a blue shirt paired with denim pants. 

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It is worth mentioning that the demise of Rono Mukherjee comes as the second shocking news for the Mukherjee family, following the passing of Ayan Mukerji's father, Deb Mukherjee. It was only earlier this year, on March 14, 2025, that he left for his heavenly abode at the age of 83 after battling age-related issues.

He was last seen in the 2009-released Shahid Kapoor-led Kaminey, which was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

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