Hours after his demise, a video from his funeral surfaced online, showing his daughter Dalai reacting to paparazzi gathered outside the venue.
Now, her mother has requested people to understand the family's grief and give their children the privacy they need.
Sanjay suffered a fatal head injury in an accidental fall, which led to his untimely demise.
Sanjay loved his family and children immensely.
Please allow them the privacy, compassion and space they need to grieve the loss of their father."
Content Warning: This article contains references to a person's demise. Reader discretion is advised.
The Indian film industry was left mourning the loss of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who passed away at the age of 59 following a fatal head injury at his residence in Mumbai's Versova. Hours after his demise, a video from his funeral surfaced online, showing his daughter Dalai reacting to paparazzi gathered outside the venue. Now, her mother has requested people to understand the family's grief and give their children the privacy they need.
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Anuradha Lekhi Gupta addresses daughter's reaction
Filmmaker Milap Zaveri shared Anuradha's statement on Instagram. She wrote, "A part of our lives has been lost forever, and nothing can ever fill the void or make up for this loss. On behalf of our family, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our family members, friends, Sanjay's fans and our friends in the media for the love, condolences and strength you have extended to us during this difficult time. Sanjay suffered a fatal head injury in an accidental fall, which led to his untimely demise. Sanjay loved his family and children immensely. Our children are adolescents who have suddenly lost their beloved father."
Addressing the incident, she explained that her children were not accustomed to the constant attention of paparazzi and were deeply affected by the sudden intrusion into their personal space. She added, “Having grown up away from the glare of the limelight and the intrusive nature of paparazzi culture, they were deeply distressed by the sudden intrusion into their privacy at such a difficult time. In their grief and anguish, some of their reactions may have been directed towards certain members of the media. I sincerely regret any hurt this may have caused.”
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Anuradha urges people to respect her children's privacy
Concluding her statement, Anuradha appealed to people to view her daughter's reaction in the context of the family's loss. She added, "I humbly request everyone to understand these reactions for what they truly are: the expressions of grieving children struggling to come to terms with an irreparable loss. I request you to kindly excuse them, and appeal to everyone to delete any content that may leave lasting emotional scars on their young minds. Please allow them the privacy, compassion and space they need to grieve the loss of their father."
