1 November 2026
Veteran filmmaker and Dogri writer Ved Rahi has died at the age of 93. He died on Sunday morning, 1 November 2026, at his residence in Thane, Maharashtra. His last rites were performed at the Kopari cremation ground in Thane later that Sunday afternoon.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
The tributes begin
The Sahitya Akademi paid tribute on X on 1 November, mourning “the demise of eminent Dogri writer, thinker and filmmaker Ved Rahi Ji, a distinguished figure in modern Dogri literature”. It said his contribution to Indian literature would be remembered for generations, and extended its heartfelt condolences.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
A Jammu beginning
Rahi was born in Jammu in May 1933. His father, Mulk Raj Saraf, was a pioneering journalist in the region, and Rahi grew up in a family with deep journalistic roots. He began his literary journey in Jammu and established himself as an important voice in Dogri writing.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Literary honours
Rahi received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his Dogri short-story collection Aale. In 2024 he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, one of the institution’s highest distinctions. He also received the Rahul Sankrityayan Award and the Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puraskar.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Hindi cinema
Rahi wrote screenplays and dialogues for more than 25 Hindi films. His credits include Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, Pavitra Paapi, Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi, Beimaan, Mome Ki Gudiya, Sanyasi, Charas and Bezubaan — a career that took him from Jammu’s literary circles to the heart of Bombay cinema.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
As a director
Rahi later turned director, making films including Prem Parbat, featuring the memorable song “Yeh Dil Aur Unki Nigaahon Ke Saaye”, and Kali Ghata, starring Shashi Kapoor and Rekha. His final directorial venture was Veer Savarkar, released in 2001.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Television legacy
Television audiences remember Rahi above all for Gul Gulshan Gulfam, the much-loved Doordarshan serial that followed the lives of a Kashmiri family living on houseboats. His other television work included Meera, Katha Sagar, Zindagi, Ehsaas and Rishtey, bringing his storytelling into households across the country through the 1980s and 1990s.
Photo: Ved Rahi, as published by Outlook India on 2 November 2026 with the credit “Photo: Instagram”. The original is 1200x675, clear, sharp and watermark-free, showing Ved Rahi alone with his face fully visible; it is downscaled only to the 1080px page-canvas width and never upscaled. Identity was cross-checked against the Daijiworld obituary of the same day, which carries the same portrait in colour, same pose and shawl, of the same man; Daijiworld’s own 600x338 file of that portrait was NOT used, as it is sub-HD and would require upscaling to the 1080px canvas. This is the only verified HD portrait of Ved Rahi found in this run, so all eight pages use this same portrait of Ved Rahi himself; no photograph of any other person is used anywhere in the story. No film still, poster frame or screenshot is used.
Reporting note, stated plainly: the outlets disagree on the first names of Ved Rahi’s daughters — The Times of India and Daijiworld give Anju Patel and Poonam Advani, while Outlook India and WION give Geetanjali and Poonam. All four agree he is survived by two daughters, so this story says only that, and names no daughter. No detail beyond the reported accounts is added.
Remembered
Dogri Sanstha Jammu also paid tribute, its president Prof Lalit Magotra saying Rahi’s creative genius and multifaceted contributions earned him a distinguished place in the national cultural landscape, and that his demise has created a void that will be difficult to fill. He is survived by his two daughters. Tap below for more VisitBest web stories.