Who is Mahesh Jirawala? Filmmaker who went missing, is feared dead after tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad

Gujarati film director Mahesh Kalawadia, who is also known as Mahesh Jirawala, has been missing since the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. His family fears the worst and has submitted DNA samples to help with the search.

Reports say that Mahesh’s phone was last traced to a spot just 700 meters from where the crash took place. The Air India flight, with 242 people on board, lost radar contact at 625 feet shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM on June 12. The plane crashed into the campus of a medical college in Meghaninagar. The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 29 people on the ground.

Mahesh’s wife, Hetal Kalawadia, said, “My husband called me at 1:14 PM to say his meeting was over and that he was on his way home. However, when he did not return, I called his phone, but it was switched off. After informing the police, the last signal from his mobile phone showed he was just 700 meters away from the crash site.”

Mahesh Jirawala, who had been directing music albums, was on his way to meet someone in the Law Garden area that afternoon, as shared by his wife Hetal. After the tragic crash, authorities have been collecting DNA samples to identify the victims. By Sunday, officials had confirmed the identities of 47 victims through DNA testing.