The Bollywood fraternity is mourning the loss of acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who passed away on Saturday morning after sustaining a head injury at his Mumbai residence. Known for his distinct style in the action and crime thriller genres, Gupta’s sudden demise has left many in the industry in a state of shock. His final rites were conducted on Saturday evening at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Mumbai, with several prominent figures in attendance to pay their last respects.
Veteran actor Anil Kapoor took to Instagram to share his grief, reflecting on the professional and personal bond he shared with the director. Having collaborated on notable projects like Musafir and Shootout at Wadala, Kapoor wrote, “Deeply saddened and heartbroken by Sanjay’s passing. We shared a special bond, both personally and through the films we worked on together. There was always an understanding between us that I truly cherished.” He added that the filmmaker’s unique voice and vision would be sorely missed.
The funeral saw an outpouring of support from the film fraternity, with Abhishek Bachchan, Rakesh Roshan, Rajat Bedi, Harshvardhan Rane, Meezaan Jafri, Naved Jaffrey, Rahul Dev, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajpal Yadav, and Fardeen Khan among those present. Sanjay Dutt, who maintained a long-standing creative association with Gupta, also paid a moving tribute to his late friend.
Sanjay Gupta leaves behind a legacy of gritty cinema, having directed iconic films such as Aatish, Kaante, Shootout at Lokhandwala, and Mumbai Saga. His prolific career continued right up until his final projects; his latest directorial venture, The Miranda Brothers, was released earlier this year, and he was also involved as a producer for the film Visfot, which features Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh.