Air India plane crash: Filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia remains missing
16 Jun 2025

Filmmaker Mahesh Kalawadia, also known as Mahesh Jirawala, has been missing since the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.

The aircraft crashed into a medical college campus in Meghaninagar just moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39pm.

The accident killed 241 out of 242 people on board and 29 others on the ground.

Kalawadia was in a meeting
Disappearance details

Kalawadia's wife, Hetal, told PTI that he had gone to Law Garden in Ahmedabad on the day of the crash for a meeting.

"My husband called me at 1:14pm to tell me his meeting is over and that he is on his way home," she said.

However, when he didn't return, she tried calling him, but his phone was switched off.

Last location of Kalawadia's mobile phone
Phone location

The last location of Kalawadia's mobile phone was traced by the police to just 700 meters away from the crash site.

"His phone got switched off around 1:40pm (a minute after the ill-fated flight took off). His scooter and mobile phone are missing," Hetal said.

"All this is unusual since he would never use that route (as per the last location) to come home."

Family has submitted DNA samples for identification
Identification efforts

Given Kalawadia's disappearance and the possibility that he may have been killed in the crash, his family has submitted DNA samples for identification.

"We have submitted DNA samples to check if he was one of those killed on the ground due to the crash," Hetal said.

The authorities are conducting DNA tests to establish the identity of victims, as many bodies were burned beyond recognition or otherwise damaged in this horrific tragedy.