Ava Mukherjee (c. 1929 – 15 January 2018) was an Indian film and television actress. Her best known roles included Devdas (2002), where she played Shah Rukh Khan's grandmother, and her lead role as the title character in 2009's Detective Naani. Mukherjee was also well known for her appearances in Indian commercial advertisements. Mukherjee was next cast as Shah Rukh Khan's grandmother in the 2002 romantic drama, Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her role in Devdas won her millions of fans throughout the country. In 2006, she appeared in the thriller anthology film, Darna Zaroori Hai.