Mumbai: Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, whose films included Kaante, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil, has died after what police believe was a fall at his home in Versova, Mumbai. He was found unresponsive in the house, and the Versova police have registered an accidental death report (ADR). Officers say they have found nothing suspicious so far.

The film industry is in mourning. Producer-writer Milap Zaveri, a close friend, confirmed the news, and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit was among those who paid tribute.

What police have said

Based on preliminary information, police say the fall appears to have been accidental. According to reports, CCTV footage from inside the house shows Gupta in the drawing room before he went to the kitchen. He is seen losing his balance and falling, and his head struck the corner of the wall between the kitchen and the drawing room. The timing of the fall has been reported as around 2 AM.

His family was asleep at home at the time and was not aware of what had happened. They found him in the morning and rushed him to hospital, where he was declared dead. He lived in a building on J P Road in Versova.

An ADR is a routine first step in unexplained or sudden deaths. It does not point to a crime, and it is how police formally record the circumstances while they establish the cause.

What is still unclear

Early reports do not agree on every detail, and we have chosen not to guess.

• His age: Reports give it as 57 in some places and 59 in others.
• Where the fall happened: Most accounts, including the one citing CCTV footage, say the kitchen area, while one report says a bathroom.
• Medical cause of death: No official post-mortem findings have been published in the information available. Police describe it as a head injury

Remembering Sanjay Gupta’s career

Gupta made his directorial debut in 1994 with Aatish: Feel the Fire. Over the next three decades, he became known for fast, stylish crime and action films. His work included Kaante (2002), which drew on a Hollywood caper and became one of the signature heist films of its time, and Shootout at Wadala (2013), a gangster drama set in 1970s Mumbai. He directed the revenge thriller Kaabil (2017) and the gangster film Mumbai Saga (2021). Through his production company, White Feather Films, he also backed a range of projects.

Colleagues have long described him as a filmmaker with a strong visual sense who was intensely involved in his sets and music.

How the industry is reacting

Tributes began arriving soon after the news broke, with colleagues describing shock at how suddenly he died. His friend Milap Zaveri confirmed the death, and other filmmakers and actors have been sharing condolences on social media.

What happens next

1. The Versova police will complete their inquiry and the ADR process.

2. Post-mortem findings, if released, will provide the medical cause of death.
3. The family is expected to announce funeral arrangements.

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