Hansal Mehta has come under fire from a social media influencer for discussing his movie Omertá on Instagram while honouring the late actor Mukul Dev.
While honoring the late actor Mukul Dev, Indian filmmaker Hansal Mehta argues against being called a narcissist. Reacting sharply to the criticism, Hansal Mehta said he didn’t need to “hype” a movie that was released more than seven years ago.
Hansal Mehta claimed that Mukul Dev had all the makings of a successful movie star, calling him a man whose appeal could “light up a stadium”. Eulogies have been flooding in from the Indian cinema community nationwide in response to Dev Mukul’s tragic passing.
Hansal Mehta addresses criticism
A social media user accused Hansal Mehta of promoting himself and his film to promote his post. One user remarked, “Hansal Mehta is such a narcissist…” Even here, he’s promoting himself and his movies with his comments.”
This triggered Hansal Mehta as he addressed, begging people not to judge him and comprehend the intention behind his statements.
He wrote “When a friend dies, grief expresses itself in memories, in stories, in guilt, in unfinished conversations. I shared mine with honesty and affection. If you see narcissism in that, it says more about your lens than my intent.” “Also, I don’t need to ‘hype’ a film made over seven years ago. That film was Mukul’s dream. His pride in it was real. His credit on it gave him some joy. If narrating that is narcissism, maybe you need to look up the meaning of grief and decency,” he added.
When the film was finally made, Hansal Mehta recalled how Mukul gave him the story for Omertà in 2003 and how he was thrilled to see his name in the writing credits.
Rahul Dev talks about his late sibling Mukul Dev
His well-liked parts in Son of Sardaar, Yamla Pagla Deewana, and Jai Ho, among other TV series, helped Mukul Dev gain notoriety. Rahul Dev, Mukul Dev’s brother, thanked the public for their love and blessings in an Instagram post including a photo of his brother.
In his post, he thanked everyone for their support and sent Mukul his best wishes. The actor died of health problems on May 24, 2025, at the age of 54. The Dayanand Mukti Dham Crematorium in Nizamuddin West, Delhi, hosted his funeral services on Saturday.
