Veteran lyricist Dev Kohli passed away today (26th August) in Bombay. He was 81. His last rites will be performed at 6 p.m. today at the Oshiwara crematorium at Jogeshwari West in Bombay. Before that, his body will be kept at his residence at Jupiter Apartment, 4th Cross Lane, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, for antim darshan.
Dev Kohli was unmarried. He had been undergoing treatment at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for serious health problems since three months. It was only around ten days back that the doctors had asked for him to be taken home as he was not responding to any treatment. The end came around 4 a.m. this morning.
Dev Kohli was a prolific lyricist and he embellished many a film with his wonderful lyrics. The Yeh kaali kaali aankhen song from Baazigar was penned by him and became a disco and club craze when it was released. His Didi tera devar deewana (Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!) had for years been a wedding favourite. Although he wrote the hit Geet gaata hoon main song in Lal Pathar when he was very young, success, name and fame eluded him till Maine Pyar Kiya happened. Among the films he wrote songs for are Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Baazigar, Koi…Mil Gaya, Ishq, Judwaa, Judwaa 2, Musafir, Shootout At Lokhandwala, Kaante, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Taxi Number 9211, Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai, Yaariyan etc. He had worked with many top music directors including Anu Malik, Uttam Singh, Raamlaxman, Rajesh Roshan, Anand Milind, Anand Raaj Anand etc.