Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta died on Saturday at the age of 59. Known for films such as Kaante, Shootout at Lokhandwala and Zinda, he sent shockwaves across the film industry with his death, particularly because the filmmaker had apparently been active until very recently. In fact, his last social media post, 10 days before his death, offered a glimpse into his quieter personal life with his daughter, Dalia.
Sanjay Gupta’s last social media post
In the post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Sanjay was seen building a Lego set with his daughter Dalia. The pictures showed a huge Lego building set being put together by the filmmaker and his daughter. He captioned the post, “The biggest Lego I know being built on my dining table. CRAZY!!!”
Sanjay is survived by wife Anuradha Gupta and two kids — Shivaansh Gupta and Dalai Gupta.
Sanjay Gupta dies at 59
Sanjay Gupta died at the age of 59. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit confirmed the news on social media and said Gupta had suffered a head injury at home. However, the exact circumstances of his death have not been officially confirmed.
In a post on Instagram, Ashoke Pandit wrote, “It’s really shocking and sad. Just got the news that our dear friend an ace director Sanjay Gupta is no more. He passed due to a head injury at home. Another talent gone too soon. He was a wonderful narrator, full of life persona & a passionate filmmaker. A great loss to our industry. Will miss you my friend. Condolences to his family & dear ones. Om Shaanti. Details of his last rites will be shared soon.”
Sanjay Gupta’s film career
Born in Mumbai in 1967, Sanjay Gupta made his directorial debut with Aatish: Feel the Fire in 1994, starring Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Pancholi. He went on to establish himself with films centred on crime, gangsters and the Mumbai underworld.
His filmography includes Ram Shastra, Khauff, Jung, Kaante, Musafir, Zinda, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Shootout at Wadala, Jazbaa, Kaabil and Mumbai Saga. He also produced films such as Dus Kahaniyaan and Shootout at Lokhandwala.
One of his most recognised films, Kaante (2002), featured Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Lucky Ali and Kumar Gaurav. The heist thriller went on to develop a cult following. His film Kaabil, starring Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam, was also among his major commercial successes.
His final directorial, The Miranda Brothers, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Meezaan Jafri, was released on JioCinema in 2024.