Sanjay Gupta, the filmmaker and producer behind popular crime and gangster dramas such as “Kaante”, “Musafir”, “Shootout at Lokhandwala” and “Kaabil”, died after sustaining a head injury in a fall at his Versova residence. He was 59.
He is survived by his wife, Anuradha, and their two children.
In a statement on Saturday, Mumbai Police said Gupta passed away at midnight after losing his balance, falling inside his house, and suffering a head injury that led to excessive bleeding.
“His wife, two children, and a domestic helper reside with him in the said bungalow. However, as everyone was asleep during the night, the incident came to light this morning. The family has no suspicion or complaint,” the police said.
“The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. An inquiry into the accidental death is underway by the Versova Police Station,” it added.
His death sent shockwaves through the film industry, with several actors, including his frequent collaborators Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham, as well as Kajol, Kangana Ranaut and Dia Mirza, expressing grief and disbelief over his demise on social media.
Several close friends, including filmmakers Milap Zaveri, Rakesh Roshan, actors Rohit Roy, Ronit Roy, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpayee and Fardeen Khan, also visited his residence.
Born in Mumbai, Gupta became fascinated with storytelling during his college years and began working with filmmaker Pankaj Parashar on the television series “Karamchand” (1985) and the film “Jalwa” (1987). He subsequently worked with filmmaker Raj Sippy on films such as “Shehzaade” (1989), “Mahaadev” (1989) and “Thanedaar”, starring Dutt.
In interviews with different publications, Gupta said two films that left a lasting impression on him were Mani Ratnam’s acclaimed Tamil crime drama “Nayakan” (1987) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s gangster drama “Parinda” (1989).
Gupta was also among the most active Indian filmmakers on social media platform X, where he had around 1.7 lakh followers. He frequently used the platform to share his views on films, the entertainment industry and current affairs.