Mahesh Kalawadia: Filmmaker goes missing after Air India plane crash; wife fears he may be among ground victims: ‘We have submitted DNA samples’ |
Filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, also known as Mahesh Jirawala, has been missing since the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on 12 June. Mahesh, who directs music albums and was neither on the flight nor inside the hostel where the plane crashed, has not been seen since that afternoon. His family fears he may have been one of the victims killed on the ground during the horrific accident.Last phone call and sudden disappearanceAs reported by PTI, Mahesh’s wife, Hetal, shared that he had gone to Law Garden in Ahmedabad that afternoon to meet someone. She recalled, “My husband called me at 1.14 pm to tell me his meeting is over and that he is on his way home. However, when he did not return, I called up his phone, but it was switched off.”What makes the situation more worrying is that his phone location was last traced to just 700 metres away from the crash site. The ill-fated flight had taken off at 1:39 pm, and Mahesh’s phone reportedly got switched off around 1:40 pm—just a minute later.“His phone got switched off around 1:40 pm (a minute after the ill-fated flight took off). 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,” she added.DNA sample submitted for identificationAs Mahesh didn’t return home and his whereabouts remain unknown, his family has now submitted a DNA sample in hopes of finding out if he may have been one of those who tragically lost their lives on the ground. “We have submitted DNA samples to check if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash,” Hetal said.Celebrities share condolencesThe tragic plane crash has shocked the country and many Bollywood celebrities have expressed their sorrow on social media. Shah Rukh Khan shared his heartbreak on X, writing, “Absolutely heartbroken with the news about the crash in Ahmedabad…my prayers for the victims, their families and all affected.”Anupam Kher posted an emotional video on Instagram, saying, “Someone was from India, someone from abroad. Someone was someone’s mother. Someone was returning to their son. Someone was on the way to work. Someone was going home after a holiday. But no one knew that this journey would become their last journey.”Shatrughan Sinha also expressed deep sadness over the recent Air India crash, calling it a “rare catastrophe” that has shocked the entire nation. Speaking to the media, Sinha described the tragic event as one of the most upsetting aviation accidents in recent times. “I am speechless,” he said. He also noted that the crash has not only taken the lives of several people but has also raised serious questions about safety checks and who is responsible.Amitabh Bachchan also shared his prayers on X in Hindi, writing, “Oh god! Oh god! Shocked! Stunned! God’s grace! Heartfelt prayers!”Other stars like Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Diljit Dosanjh, Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal also took to social media to express their condolences.A crash that took away many livesThe Air India aircraft crashed just moments after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on the afternoon of 12 June. It went down into the premises of a medical college in the Meghaninagar area. The accident was devastating. 241 people on board were killed, and 29 people on the ground also lost their lives.
