In devastating news, renowned Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, popularly known as Mahesh Jirawala, has been officially confirmed as one of the victims who perished in the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Mahesh’s identity was eventually verified through DNA testing after he was first reported missing, devastatingly ending the uncertainty his family had been living with.
The confirmation came after authorities suspected his involvement based on strong forensic evidence, including the finding of a burned Activa scooter registered in his name and the last known location of his cell phone at the crash site near Shahibaug. Soon after, the phone had been turned off, raising more questions about his whereabouts.
Mahesh is survived by his wife, Hetal, and their two children—a daughter and a son.
According to reports by Divya Bhaskar, his family was initially unable to accept the body, overwhelmed with shock and disbelief. It was only after officials presented the scooter’s chassis number along with conclusive DNA results that they came to terms with the tragic loss.
Mahesh Jirawala, a resident of Naroda, had gone to the Law Garden area on the afternoon of June 12 to meet someone. In a statement to PTI, his wife Hetal recalled that he had called her at 1:14 pm, informing her that his meeting had concluded. “His phone got switched off around 1:40pm. His scooter and mobile phone are missing. All this is unusual since he would never use that route (as per the last location) to come home. We have submitted DNA samples to check if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash,” she said.
Mahesh Jirawala was a well-respected member of the Gujarati music and short film communities, especially for his multi-format work. His reputation as a creative force in regional cinema was cemented when he received praise for his 2019 Gujarati film Cocktail Premi: Paw of Revenge.
One of the deadliest aviation tragedies in recent memory is the Ahmedabad plane crash that happened earlier this week. 241 people were killed in the accident, including passengers, crew members, and on-the-ground civilians. Only one passenger, Vishwas, miraculously survived the terrible event.
