Sanjay Gupta dies at 57: Tusshar Kapoor, Sonu Sood among others pay tribute

Members of the film industry, including Tushar Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Resul Pookutty, Ashoke Pandit, Rahul Dholakia and Manoj Muntashir, have condoled the death of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta. Known for crime dramas and action thrillers such as Jung, Kaante, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil, Gupta died at his Mumbai residence last night. He was 57.Gupta is believed to have fallen in his bathroom, with the incident coming to light early in the morning. The Versova police have registered an accidental death report and are investigating the circumstances. Police said they had found no evidence of foul play so far. Family sources and Gupta's close collaborator Milap Zaveri confirmed his death, while Pandit said the filmmaker had suffered a head injury at home.Tushar Kapoor shared his condolences on X and described Gupta as a man who lived life to the fullest. “Woke up to the sad news about the unfortunate and sudden demise of my beloved director, Sanjay Gupta. Life is so unpredictable, though this man was a lesson in living life to the fullest. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace, sir (sic),” he wrote. Sonu Sood recalled the time he had spent with Gupta on film sets. “Will always miss you, brother Sanjay. The memories of our time together on the sets will always stay close to my heart (sic),” he wrote on X. Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who said he had worked with Gupta for 25 years, shared a tribute on Instagram. “What terrible and shocking news for me personally and for our friends and family. This is not a way to go. Twenty-five years of working together, and I am still not able to process this. Your love for cinema was unparalleled. We will miss you, one of the sanest voices in mainstream Hindi cinema. May your soul rest in peace (sic),” he wrote.Pandit described Gupta as an ace director, a gifted narrator and a passionate filmmaker. “It is really shocking and sad. I have just received the news that our dear friend and ace director Sanjay Gupta is no more. He died following a head injury at home. Another talent gone too soon. He was a wonderful narrator, a person full of life and a passionate filmmaker. It is a great loss to our industry. I will miss you, my friend. Condolences to his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace. Details of his last rites will be shared soon (sic),” he wrote.Raees director Rahul Dholakia remembered meeting Gupta many years ago and called him a stylish filmmaker. He said Gupta may have been among the first directors to create trailers and edit promotional material to pitch film ideas to actors and distributors.“Shocking. I met Sanjay Gupta once, a very long time ago. He was quite a stylish filmmaker, perhaps the first to present trailers and cut promos to pitch a film idea to actors and distributors. From his filmography, Kaante remains my favourite. And ‘Cigarette Ke Dhuen’ was always a party favourite. Gone too soon, Gupts (sic),” Dholakia wrote.Lyricist Manoj Muntashir, who worked with Gupta on two films, including Kaabil, recalled their long conversations over cups of tea. His tribute also offered a glimpse of Gupta's interest in poetry.“We worked together on only two films, one of which was Kaabil. In the time we spent together, I learnt that Sanjay was not just an outstanding filmmaker but also an incredible friend. Tea after tea, poem after poem, those sessions would sometimes stretch on for hours (sic),” Muntashir wrote on X.He added, “Very few people know that Sanjay himself was a poet of the highest calibre. He had no equal when it came to listening well and telling stories well. Those gatherings will be missed. Farewell, my friend (sic).”, -. , , . , , - . . , . , #OmShanti— Manoj Muntashir Shukla (@manojmuntashir) October 31, 2026A career of hits and missesGupta's career spanned more than three decades, during which he directed several films across the crime, action and thriller genres. From Aatish: Feel The Fire to Kaante, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil, he built a filmography that remained closely associated with gangster dramas and high-octane storytelling.Despite facing setbacks and a difficult phase in his career, Gupta returned to filmmaking and continued working on projects such as Mumbai Saga, Visfot and The Miranda Brothers.- Ends