Filmmaker Milap Zaveri has shared a statement from Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, the wife of late filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, requesting privacy for their children following Gupta's death.
The statement came after a video from outside Gupta's funeral in Mumbai went viral on social media.
A paparazzi page claimed that the clip showed his daughter, Dalai, making an obscene gesture at photographers.
“Sanjay loved his family and children immensely.
Video surfaces after funeralThe video surfaced after Gupta’s family, friends and colleagues gathered to pay their last respects on Saturday.
Filmmaker Milap Zaveri has shared a statement from Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, the wife of late filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, requesting privacy for their children following Gupta's death. In the statement, she said Gupta suffered a fatal head injury in an accidental fall and thanked relatives, friends, fans and members of the media for supporting the family.
The statement came after a video from outside Gupta's funeral in Mumbai went viral on social media. A paparazzi page claimed that the clip showed his daughter, Dalai, making an obscene gesture at photographers. However, the face of the girl in the video was covered, and her identity could not be independently verified.
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Beginning her statement with “heartfelt gratitude”, Anuradha said: “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,” she added.
Anuradha said Gupta died after sustaining a head injury in an accidental fall. “Sanjay suffered a fatal head injury in an accidental fall, which led to his untimely demise,” she said.
She also spoke about the impact of his death on their children. “Sanjay loved his family and children immensely. Our children are adolescents who have suddenly lost their beloved father,” she said.
Anuradha said the children had grown up away from public attention and were distressed by the sudden intrusion into their privacy. “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,” she said.
She asked people to view their reactions as those of grieving children. “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,” she said.
Anuradha also appealed for content involving the children to be removed. “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,” she said, signing off with gratitude.
Video surfaces after funeral
The video surfaced after Gupta’s family, friends and colleagues gathered to pay their last respects on Saturday. It was shared by the paparazzi page Buzzzooka Scrolls with the caption, “Why Did Sanjay Gupta’s Daughter Lose Her Cool With the Paps?”
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The clip showed a girl sitting in the passenger seat of a car with her face concealed in a hoodie. She was seen making a middle-finger gesture at photographers stationed outside. The driver appeared to stop her, while another person sitting in the back also seemed to intervene.
Several viewers questioned the girl’s behaviour during the funeral, including why she was seemingly laughing. Others asked whether she was Gupta’s daughter. Since her face remained covered, the paparazzi page’s claim about her identity could not be verified.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Bachchan, Farah Khan, Rakesh Roshan, Fardeen Khan and several other members of the film industry attended the funeral before Gupta’s final journey to the Versova crematorium.
Ronit Roy, among the first to arrive, struggled to hold back tears. Rohit Roy was also visibly emotional, while Zaveri appeared shaken when he reached Gupta’s residence. Sudhanshu Pandey and Ashoke Pandit were among the other members of the film fraternity who visited the filmmaker’s home to support his family and bid him farewell.
Gupta died at the age of 57 after a filmmaking career spanning more than three decades. He made his directorial debut with Aatish: Feel The Fire in 1994 and later directed films including Jung, Kaante, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil.
His 2002 film Kaante, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Lucky Ali and Mahesh Manjrekar, marked a major turning point in his career. While reflecting on 25 years in the industry, Gupta had described his journey as a mix of hits and misses and said he was glad to have overcome difficult phases and revived his career.
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