Sanjay Gupta, 'Kaante' and 'Shootout at Wadala' Director, Dies After Fall at Mumbai Home

Sanjay Gupta, the Hindi-film director behind the crime thrillers "Kaante," "Shootout at Wadala" and "Kaabil," has died after a fall at his home in Mumbai's Versova neighborhood, police said. Versova police have registered an accidental death report, and officers said the family had raised no suspicion, according to Hindustan Times.

Reports differ on his age. Variety, citing the Press Trust of India, and Hindustan Times gave his age as 59, while The Indian Express and NDTV reported that he was 57.

What police have said

Hindustan Times reported that police said CCTV footage from the house showed Gupta, who had been sitting in the drawing room, walk to the kitchen at around 2 a.m., lose his balance and fall against a wall. "His head hit the corner of the wall between the kitchen and the drawing room. He fell down; a dog was also seen nearby him. However, as his wife, son and daughter were asleep in their bedrooms, they didn't come to know about it," a Versova police officer told the newspaper.

The family found him on the floor when they woke up in the morning and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, Hindustan Times reported. The body was sent to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination, and a forensic team visited the house. "Also, it is clearly seen on the cameras that he lost his balance and fell," the officer said.

In a statement to News9, Versova police said Gupta "passed away yesterday at midnight after losing his balance and falling inside his home," and added: "The family has no suspicion or complaint. The body has been sent for a post-mortem (PM)." Senior Police Inspector Deepshika Vare told The Indian Express, "As of now nothing suspicious has been found, we are investigating the matter." Deputy Commissioner of Police Purushottam Karad told the Free Press Journal that family members were sleeping when the incident occurred, Variety reported.

Director Milap Zaveri, a longtime friend who worked on the dialogue for "Kaante," confirmed the death to PTI. "It is true that he passed away. He fell and hit his head," Zaveri said, according to Variety. The Indian Express reported that the family's funeral announcement set the final rites for 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Mumbai.

A career built on crime thrillers

Gupta made his directorial debut in 1994 with "Aatish: Feel the Fire," starring Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Pancholi, and went on to direct "Ram Shastra," "Jung" and "Khauff," Variety reported. His professional partnership with Dutt extended across 10 films, including projects Gupta produced, according to the trade publication.

His 2002 heist thriller "Kaante," which brought together Amitabh Bachchan, Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Lucky Ali and Kumar Gaurav, was set in Los Angeles and earned Gupta a Filmfare nomination for best director, Variety reported. Through his company White Feather Films he produced "Shootout at Lokhandwala" (2007), and he later directed "Shootout at Wadala" (2013), a prequel drawing on S. Hussain Zaidi's nonfiction book "Dongri to Dubai." His other films included "Musafir" (2004), "Zinda" (2006), "Jazbaa" (2015) and "Mumbai Saga" (2021). Hindustan Times described "Kaabil" (2017), starring Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam, as his most successful film at the box office.

Tributes from the film industry

Dutt, who first bonded with Gupta on the set of the 1990 film "Thanedaar," where Gupta worked as an assistant director, posted a tribute on Instagram, Hindustan Times reported. "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," Dutt wrote. He said the two had recently discussed a sequel to "Kaante" and pledged to make it: "I will make Kaante 2 your dream, in memory of you my brother."

Suniel Shetty wrote, "Still trying to come to terms with this news. We've spent so many days together, made films, shared laughs, arguments, ideas and memories that will stay with me forever." Kajol called the news "heartbreaking," and Kangana Ranaut said in an Instagram story that "what is unsettling is that he was not even unwell," according to a PTI report carried by Hindustan Times. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, among the first to confirm the death, wrote in a social media post, "A great loss to our industry," NDTV reported.

Ronit Roy, Rohit Roy, Rakesh Roshan, Fardeen Khan and Farah Khan were among those who visited Gupta's Mumbai residence on Saturday to pay their respects, The Indian Express reported. Gupta is survived by his wife and two children.