The Hindi film industry gathered in Mumbai on Saturday to bid a final farewell to celebrated filmmaker Sanjay Gupta. The director, known for his gritty crime dramas and stylised storytelling, passed away on Saturday morning following a tragic head injury sustained at his residence. His last rites were performed at the Pawan Hans Crematorium on Saturday evening, drawing a somber crowd of industry peers and collaborators.
Among those who arrived to pay their last respects were Abhishek Bachchan, Rakesh Roshan, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajpal Yadav, Fardeen Khan, Rahul Dev, and Harshvardhan Rane. A visibly emotional Rajpal Yadav described the loss as a “huge blow” to the industry, while veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai remembered his dear friend as a progressive director whose absence leaves a profound void. The funeral was also attended by Rajat Bedi, Atul Agnihotri, Meezaan Jafri, and Naved Jaffrey, all of whom appeared deeply shaken by the sudden tragedy.
Sanjay Dutt, who shared a decades-long bond with the late director, penned a gut-wrenching tribute on social media. Recalling their deep friendship, Dutt vowed to fulfill his friend’s final dream, stating, “We were just discussing Kaante 2 recently, I will make Kaante 2 your dream, in memory of you my brother.” The two had collaborated on iconic films like ‘Aatish’, ‘Jung’, and ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’. Tributes continued to pour in from across the fraternity, with Kajol and Kunal Kohli sharing heartfelt messages of shock and condolences for the bereaved family.
Gupta leaves behind a rich cinematic legacy, having mastered the crime thriller genre with hits like ‘Kaante’, ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’, and ‘Mumbai Saga’. His most recent directorial, ‘The Miranda Brothers’, was released just this year, and he remained active as a producer with the recent project ‘Visfot’. Known for his distinctive style and sharp insights on industry trends, the filmmaker’s contribution to action-packed, gripping Hindi cinema remains a cornerstone of his career.