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The sudden death of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has left the Hindi film industry mourning. Known for films such as Kaante, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil, Gupta passed away on Friday, October 30. He was 59.
According to his close friend and filmmaker Milap Zaveri, Gupta died at his residence after suffering a head injury in a fall. Confirming the news to PTI, Zaveri said, "It is true that he passed away. He fell and hit his head." Following the news, several actors, filmmakers and colleagues took to social media to remember him.
Amitabh Bachchan pays emotional tribute
Among those paying tribute was Amitabh Bachchan, who shared an emotional note on his blog on Sunday. Remembering Gupta as a friend and fellow artiste, the veteran actor expressed sadness over his death.
Without mentioning the filmmaker's name in his blog, Bachchan wrote in Hindi, "A friend, a fellow artiste and a true devotee of art has left us at such a young age! I am unable to understand how all of this is happening."
He also expressed grief over the loss of several people from the film fraternity, questioning why they had to go through such difficult times. "What wrong have they done to deserve such a fate? People say that all the powerful planets in the solar system have turned unfavourable at the same time. Please have mercy on us!" he added.
Amitabh Bachchan had worked with Gupta in Kaante (2002), which also featured Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Lucky Ali, Mahesh Manjrekar and Kumar Gaurav.
Sanjay Dutt remembers his longtime friend
Actor Sanjay Dutt also shared an emotional tribute to Sanjay Gupta whom he fondly called his brother. Posting throwback pictures from the sets of Kaante, Dutt recalled their years of friendship and the memories they shared.
In his post, he wrote, "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." Dutt also revealed that the two had recently discussed Kaante 2. He promised to fulfil Gupta's dream of making the film in his memory.
Wife Anuradha Lekhi Gupta shares emotional note
Sanjay Gupta's wife, Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, also remembered him through an emotional post on Instagram. Describing him as a gifted storyteller and devoted father, she recalled his humour, generosity and love for his family.
She remembered him as the funniest person she knew and said he had always been a true friend who never held grudges. Sharing memories of their relationship on her private Instagram account and quoted by Times Now, she wrote that she wished they had many more years together.
Ashoke Pandit remembers the filmmaker
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit took to Instagram to express his grief, describing Gupta as a close friend, a passionate filmmaker and a person full of life. "A great loss to our industry. Will miss you, my friend. Condolences to his family & dear ones. Om Shaanti," he wrote.
Anil Kapoor remembers their special bond
Actor Anil Kapoor shared a throwback photograph with Gupta and recalled the bond they shared. "There was always an understanding between us that I truly cherished. Sanjay had his own unique voice and vision as a filmmaker, and the memories of working with him will always remain close to my heart. Going to miss you, Sanjay. Rest in peace, my friend," he said.
Kajol calls his death heartbreaking
Kajol shared a photograph of Gupta on Instagram and described the news of his death as heartbreaking. "Sending love and immense strength to the family through this loss. Rest in peace," she shared.
Anupam Kher recalls his love for cinema
Actor Anupam Kher remembered Sanjay Gupta as a filmmaker with a distinctive style and a deep passion for movies. Recalling their association, Kher said, "Woke up in Stockholm to the heartbreaking news of my friend and director Sanjay Gupta. You could ask him practically anything about movies, and a conversation with him would remind you how much he loved the world he belonged to. His passion came through in his social media posts too, where, of late, he had been expressing himself so openly."
Hansal Mehta remembers a close friend
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared a photograph with Gupta on Instagram, remembering him as a close friend who stood by him through difficult times.
"My first and only Rolex came from him. Today it's the one memory of him I carry on my wrist, and I don't think I'll ever take it off. He held my hand when I was at my lowest. We didn't exactly create magic together, but the time itself was an absolute blast... I watched some of the best films of my life in his theatre. I borrowed some of the best books I've read from his shelves. My bro code began with you, Sanjay. And now it is ended," he wrote.
DPIFF recalls his distinctive contribution to Hindi cinema
The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) has also paid tribute to the filmmaker, remembering his distinctive filmmaking style and contribution to Hindi cinema. In a post shared on its official Instagram account, the festival wrote, "A filmmaker who brought intensity, grit and a distinct cinematic voice to the screen. His stories and characters will continue to remain a part of Indian cinema’s legacy."
Sanjay Gupta was known for his distinct style of filmmaking, particularly crime dramas and action thrillers. Some of his best-known films include Kaante (2002), Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Shootout at Wadala (2013), Jazbaa (2015), Kaabil (2017) and Mumbai Saga (2021).
Through his production house, White Feather Films, he also backed projects such as Dus Kahaniyaan (2007). Over his career, he frequently collaborated with actors Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham, creating films that became associated with his filmmaking style.
According to his close friend and filmmaker Milap Zaveri, Gupta died at his residence after suffering a head injury in a fall. Confirming the news to PTI, Zaveri said, "It is true that he passed away. He fell and hit his head." Following the news, several actors, filmmakers and colleagues took to social media to remember him.
Amitabh Bachchan pays emotional tribute
Among those paying tribute was Amitabh Bachchan, who shared an emotional note on his blog on Sunday. Remembering Gupta as a friend and fellow artiste, the veteran actor expressed sadness over his death.
Without mentioning the filmmaker's name in his blog, Bachchan wrote in Hindi, "A friend, a fellow artiste and a true devotee of art has left us at such a young age! I am unable to understand how all of this is happening."
He also expressed grief over the loss of several people from the film fraternity, questioning why they had to go through such difficult times. "What wrong have they done to deserve such a fate? People say that all the powerful planets in the solar system have turned unfavourable at the same time. Please have mercy on us!" he added.
Amitabh Bachchan had worked with Gupta in Kaante (2002), which also featured Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Lucky Ali, Mahesh Manjrekar and Kumar Gaurav.
Sanjay Dutt remembers his longtime friend
Actor Sanjay Dutt also shared an emotional tribute to Sanjay Gupta whom he fondly called his brother. Posting throwback pictures from the sets of Kaante, Dutt recalled their years of friendship and the memories they shared.
In his post, he wrote, "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." Dutt also revealed that the two had recently discussed Kaante 2. He promised to fulfil Gupta's dream of making the film in his memory.
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. I will miss you, our conversations and all the times we spent together. We were just discussing Kante 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. May God bless your soul ????????
— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) October 31, 2026
Wife Anuradha Lekhi Gupta shares emotional note
Sanjay Gupta's wife, Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, also remembered him through an emotional post on Instagram. Describing him as a gifted storyteller and devoted father, she recalled his humour, generosity and love for his family.
She remembered him as the funniest person she knew and said he had always been a true friend who never held grudges. Sharing memories of their relationship on her private Instagram account and quoted by Times Now, she wrote that she wished they had many more years together.
Ashoke Pandit remembers the filmmaker
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit took to Instagram to express his grief, describing Gupta as a close friend, a passionate filmmaker and a person full of life. "A great loss to our industry. Will miss you, my friend. Condolences to his family & dear ones. Om Shaanti," he wrote.
Anil Kapoor remembers their special bond
Actor Anil Kapoor shared a throwback photograph with Gupta and recalled the bond they shared. "There was always an understanding between us that I truly cherished. Sanjay had his own unique voice and vision as a filmmaker, and the memories of working with him will always remain close to my heart. Going to miss you, Sanjay. Rest in peace, my friend," he said.
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.
Sanjay had his own unique voice and vision as a filmmaker, and the memories of working with him will always remain close to my heart.
Going to miss you, Sanjay. Rest in peace, my friend. ????????
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) November 1, 2026
Kajol calls his death heartbreaking
Kajol shared a photograph of Gupta on Instagram and described the news of his death as heartbreaking. "Sending love and immense strength to the family through this loss. Rest in peace," she shared.
Anupam Kher recalls his love for cinema
Actor Anupam Kher remembered Sanjay Gupta as a filmmaker with a distinctive style and a deep passion for movies. Recalling their association, Kher said, "Woke up in Stockholm to the heartbreaking news of my friend and director Sanjay Gupta. You could ask him practically anything about movies, and a conversation with him would remind you how much he loved the world he belonged to. His passion came through in his social media posts too, where, of late, he had been expressing himself so openly."
Hansal Mehta remembers a close friend
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared a photograph with Gupta on Instagram, remembering him as a close friend who stood by him through difficult times.
"My first and only Rolex came from him. Today it's the one memory of him I carry on my wrist, and I don't think I'll ever take it off. He held my hand when I was at my lowest. We didn't exactly create magic together, but the time itself was an absolute blast... I watched some of the best films of my life in his theatre. I borrowed some of the best books I've read from his shelves. My bro code began with you, Sanjay. And now it is ended," he wrote.
DPIFF recalls his distinctive contribution to Hindi cinema
The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) has also paid tribute to the filmmaker, remembering his distinctive filmmaking style and contribution to Hindi cinema. In a post shared on its official Instagram account, the festival wrote, "A filmmaker who brought intensity, grit and a distinct cinematic voice to the screen. His stories and characters will continue to remain a part of Indian cinema’s legacy."
Sanjay Gupta was known for his distinct style of filmmaking, particularly crime dramas and action thrillers. Some of his best-known films include Kaante (2002), Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Shootout at Wadala (2013), Jazbaa (2015), Kaabil (2017) and Mumbai Saga (2021).
Through his production house, White Feather Films, he also backed projects such as Dus Kahaniyaan (2007). Over his career, he frequently collaborated with actors Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham, creating films that became associated with his filmmaking style.
