Krishna Mukerji

Krishna Mukerji was an Indian playback singer and a quiet matriarch of one of Hindi and Bengali cinema's best known families. In later decades she was recognised most widely as the mother of the actress Rani Mukerji and as the widow of the filmmaker Ram Mukerji, a co-founder of Filmalaya Studios in Mumbai. She died on the afternoon of 22 September 2026 at the age of 75. Yash Raj Films confirmed the news the same day in a statement issued on behalf of the family, which asked for privacy while it grieved.

Before and alongside family life she worked as a playback singer, with credits reported in Bengali and Hindi cinema. Her film work is associated with titles including Haiwan (1977), Teesri Aankh (1982), Tomar Rakte Amar Sohag (1993) and Momer Alo, and some recordings appeared under the name Krishna Mukhopadhyay or Krishna Mukherjee. Among the better known tracks linked to her name is the festive Teesri Aankh number Eid Ke Din Gale Mil Le Raja, recorded with fellow singers of the period.

She married Ram Mukerji in 1972. He directed and produced in both Hindi and Bengali cinema, co-founded Filmalaya Studios, and later guided Rani's early screen debut, including the 1996 Bengali film Biyer Phool. The couple had two children, the producer and director Raja Mukerji and the actress Rani Mukerji. Ram Mukerji died in Mumbai in October 2017 at the age of 84. Through that marriage Krishna joined the wider Mukherjee film world; Rani's cousins in the industry include actress Kajol and director Ayan Mukerji. On her own side of the family she was the elder sister of the National Award winning Bengali actress Debashree Roy.

Rani Mukerji often spoke of her mother as the decisive influence who steered her toward acting and as a model of resilience. In interviews she recalled growing up in a modest Bengali household and said her mother kept a bright outlook through hardship, a quality she tried to carry into her own work, including the 2023 film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. Krishna herself kept a lower public profile than many relatives, yet she was a familiar presence beside her daughter at festivals and family Durga Puja celebrations in Mumbai.

Her death was announced as occurring after a brief illness in some film press reports; the official family statement did not disclose a medical cause. Condolences from the film community followed quickly, reflecting the regard in which the Mukherjee line is held. She is survived by her children Raja and Rani, by her son in law Aditya Chopra, by her granddaughter Adira, and by her sister Debashree Roy, among other relatives.