Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for directing films such as ‘Kaante’ (2004) and ‘Kaabil’ (2017), passed away at the age of 57 on Saturday following a fatal head injury. Amid the family’s grief, his wife, Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, has now issued a statement addressing a video from his funeral that recently went viral. The clip showed their 13-year-old daughter, Dalai Gupta, raising her middle finger at paparazzi photographers who had crowded around the car carrying the grieving family.In her statement, shared by Sanjay‘s protégé and filmmaker Milap Zaveri on Instagram on Monday morning, Anuradha spoke about how the sudden loss and media attention had affected their children.“Sanjay loved his family and children immensely. Our children are adolescents who have suddenly lost their beloved father. 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,” she wrote.“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. 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 added.Anuradha also appealed to paparazzi platforms to “excuse” her children and remove “any content that may leave lasting emotional scars on their young minds”. Concluding her note, she requested the media to give the family some space, saying, “Please allow them the privacy, compassion, and space they need to grieve the loss of their father.”Sharing the statement, Zaveri described it as a “request to all friends in the media” from Sanjay’s wife.According to a statement issued by the Mumbai Police, Sanjay was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Saturday morning. He reportedly suffered a fatal head injury after a fall around midnight on Friday. Although he lived with his family, including Anuradha, their daughter Dalai, their 15-year-old son Shivaansh Gupta and a domestic help, he was discovered in that condition only the following morning.
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The police said a forensic team had visited the residence and an investigation was underway. However, Sanjay’s wife had not expressed any suspicion of foul play. The filmmaker was cremated at the Versova crematorium on Saturday evening. As the family arrived at the premises, photographers gathered around them to capture pictures and videos. It was during this moment that Dalai was seen showing the middle finger to the paparazzi.On Sunday, Anuradha had shared a photograph with Sanjay on her private Instagram account, remembering him as “the bestest father in the whole brahmand (universe)”. She also described him as the backbone of their family.Sanjay and Anuradha first got married in 1997 but parted ways in 2003. The two later reconciled and remarried in 2009.