Mumbai, 31 October

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, best known for films such as "Kaante", "Shootout at Lokhandwala" and "Kaabil", passed away at his residence after he slipped and hit his head. He was 59.

Filmmaker Milap Zaveri, who is one of Gupta's closest friends, told PTI, "It is true that he passed away. He fell and hit his head."

The Versova police station have registered a case of accidental death report (ADR) and are investigating further.

“Based on the primary information we have registered an accidental death report (ADR) have been registered, he used to stay in a bungalow in Ram Nagar locality, nothing suspicious has been found," Senior Police Inspector (SPI) Deepshikha Ware said.

His last rites will be held at Pawan Hans crematorium at 6 pm. The filmmaker is survived by wife Anuradha and their two children.

His sudden death sent shockwaves through the film industry, with several actors, including his frequent collaborator Sanjay Dutt, as well as Kajol, Kangana Ranaut and Dia Mirza, expressing grief and disbelief over his demise on social media.

"Gupts, my brother. I still cannot believe that you are gone. We have shared so much together, so many memories and so many years of friendship. You have always been family to me, and that will never change," he wrote.

Dutt recalled his discussion about "Kaante 2" with the filmmaker and said he will make the film in his memory.

"I will miss you, our conversations and all the times we spent together. We were just discussing 'Kaante 2' recently, I will make 'Kaante 2' your dream, in memory of you my brother, I will do everything for this dream of yours to come true, love you forever and always. Life will not be the same without you, brother," he added.

Kajol shared a picture of the filmmaker on her Instagram handle and called his death "heartbreaking". "Sending love and immense strength to the family through this loss. Rest in peace," she added.

Ranaut shared a picture of the filmmaker on her Instagram story and said she was "extremely sad".

"(I) have worked with him closely and what is unsettling is that he was not even unwell, terrible," she said.

Mirza posted, "Sanjay Gupta, I will always be grateful for the work we did together, the love, the respect and the support I got from you. RIP Gupta Saab. Deepest condolences to the family," she wrote.

Gupta, who was born in Mumbai, made his directorial debut with "Aatish: Feel the Fire" in 1994, starring Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Pancholi. The film marked the beginning of his long-standing professional association and friendship with Dutt.

He subsequently directed films such as "Ram Shastra" (1995), "Hameshaa" (1997), "Jung" (2000) and "Khauff" (2000), exploring themes of crime, revenge and betrayal.

Gupta shot to prominence with "Kaante" (2002), a crime thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Kumar Gaurav and Lucky Ali.

The film, which was heavily inspired by Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), was praised for the performances of its ensemble cast, stylised action sequences and narrative structure. It became one of the filmmaker's most recognised works and established his association with the crime genre.

He continued exploring the genre with "Musafir" (2004) and "Zinda" (2006), both featuring Dutt.

While "Musafir", also starring Anil Kapoor, revolved around a man drawn into the world of crime, "Zinda" was an adaptation of the South Korean film "Oldboy". "Zinda" also marked the beginning of his association with John Abraham and the duo later worked on two more films.

Gupta also established his production company, White Feather Films, through which he backed several projects.

As a producer and screenwriter, Gupta was associated with "Shootout at Lokhandwala" (2007), which dramatised the 1991 police encounter at Mumbai's Lokhandwala Complex. The Apoorva Lakhia-directed film, featuring Vivek Oberoi, Dutt and Bachchan, was praised by critics and also performed well at the box office.

He subsequently directed "Shootout at Wadala" (2013), based on the life of gangster Manya Surve, with Abraham playing the lead role.

Although crime dramas remained central to his filmography, Gupta also ventured into other genres. He directed "Jazbaa" (2015), a courtroom thriller starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and "Kaabil" (2017), a revenge drama featuring Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam.

He returned to the Mumbai crime genre with "Mumbai Saga" (2021), starring John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi.

In recent years, Gupta continued working across theatrical and streaming platforms. He directed "The Miranda Brothers" (2024), featuring Meezaan Jafri and Harshvardhan Rane, and produced "Visfot" (2024), starring Riteish Deshmukh and Fardeen Khan, which premiered on JioCinema.

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.