Sanjay Gupta's Family Appeals for Privacy Amid Controversy
Emotional Plea from Anuradha Lekhi Gupta
File image of Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta(Photo: @KhusshRaho/X)
Mumbai, Nov 2: Anuradha Lekhi Gupta, the wife of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, has made a heartfelt request to the media, urging them to respect the privacy of their children following the uproar caused by a viral video from her husband's funeral.
This appeal follows a video that reportedly depicted their daughter making an inappropriate gesture towards paparazzi outside the crematorium, which sparked significant reactions online.
Filmmaker Milap Zaveri shared Anuradha's message on his social media, directed at his media colleagues.
In her note, she expressed, “We have lost a part of our lives that can never be replaced. I want to thank all our family, friends, Sanjay's fans, and the media for their support during this challenging time.”
She continued, “Sanjay tragically passed away due to a severe head injury from an accidental fall. He cherished his family deeply, and our children are now grappling with the loss of their father.”
Furthermore, she stated, “I kindly ask for understanding. Having lived away from the public eye, our children were overwhelmed by the sudden media attention during this painful period. Their reactions may have been misinterpreted, and I apologize for any distress this may have caused.”
Her note further emphasized, “These reactions are simply expressions of grieving children trying to cope with an irreplaceable loss.”
In her appeal for compassion, Anuradha urged, “Please excuse their behavior and consider removing any content that could leave lasting emotional impacts on them. They need the space and kindness to mourn their father.”
Milap Zaveri shared her statement, highlighting the request from Anuradha. Following the incident, her Instagram account has been set to private.
The controversy arose when Sanjay Gupta's children were seen leaving the crematorium in a vehicle after the last rites.
As they exited, paparazzi surrounded their car, capturing images and videos.
A viral video showed his daughter, seated in the front, making an obscene gesture towards the photographers, while his son in the backseat appeared to do the same.
Netizens criticized the children for their actions, with some questioning their demeanor as they seemed to smile and laugh shortly after their father's funeral.
For context, Sanjay Gupta passed away on October 30 at the age of 57. Initial police reports indicate he suffered a fatal head injury from an accidental fall at his home in Versova, Mumbai.
He reportedly lost his footing in the kitchen at night and struck his head against a wall. His family discovered him the next morning, and he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Versova police have filed an accidental death report and are investigating the circumstances of his passing.
Sanjay was renowned for directing films like 'Kaante', 'Musafir', 'Zinda', 'Shootout at Wadala', 'Jazbaa', 'Mumbai Saga', and 'Kaabil'.
His unexpected death has left the film community in shock, with many actors and filmmakers, including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Farah Khan, Rakesh Roshan, Milap Zaveri, Ronit Roy, and Rohit Roy, paying their respects.