'Sensed Disappointment, Loneliness': Hansal Mehta Pens Heartbreaking Note For Friend Mukul Dev, Says They Bonded Over 'Booze & Broken Hearts'

As actor Mukul Dev passed away on May 23, leaving the entire film industry shocked, filmmaker Hansal Mehta took to his social media to pen an emotional note for his "friend", and reminisced the time they spent together on the sets of several projects. Mehta also mentioned that while Mukul appeared happy on the outside, he was battling with loneliness on the inside.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Mehta wrote, "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," he added.

The filmmaker went on to say, "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," he added.

Mehta also shared how ecstatic Mukul was when the 2017 film Omerta received several accolades, as it was written by him and given to the filmmaker 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," he shared.

Recalling their last conversation, Mehta gushed that it was filled with their trademark banter and a "fake Feroz Khan accent" that they used between them. "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," he concluded.

For those unversed, Mukul made his acting debut in 1996 with the film, Dastak, opposite Sushmita Sen. He went on to star in films like Jai Ho, Son Of Sardaar, and others.