Tears, hugs and heartbreak as friends gather to bid farewell to Sanjay Gupta

Mumbai: He was a yaaron ka yaar, a man whose friendships went beyond the arc lights and the film sets. And as news of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta’s passing spread, it was his friends who came rushing, some in disbelief, others struggling to hold back their tears.

There was grief, there were embraces, and there was a silence that spoke louder than words outside Gupta’s residence as friends and colleagues from the film industry gathered to stand by his family.

Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan was among the first to arrive. He reached the residence just as Gupta’s wife and children were putting the filmmaker into an ambulance to take him to the hospital. It was a heartbreaking moment for those who witnessed it.

Vikram Bhatt, who lives in the neighbourhood, was also among those who rushed to the house.

For filmmaker Milap Zaveri, the loss was deeply personal. Gupta was not just someone he had worked with but a mentor who had believed in him when he was barely out of his teens. When contacted, Milap was too overwhelmed to speak. Instead, he sent a message: “I am completely heartbroken. Sanjay Gupta gave me a chance when I was 21.”

Perhaps one of the most poignant moments was that of actor Rohit Roy, a close friend and a regular at Gupta’s home. Unable to contain his grief, Rohit broke down, resting his head on the shoulder of his elder brother Ronit Roy, who stood beside him. It was a moment of raw emotion, of a friend mourning someone who had been an integral part of his life.

Fardeen Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani were also among those who came to pay their respects. Gupta’s neighbour Gulshan Grover and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit were spotted outside the residence.

There were familiar faces, but none of the usual smiles or animated conversations associated with a gathering of film industry friends. Instead, there was a shared sense of loss, as people who had known Gupta over the years struggled to accept that he was gone.

For a man who had built so many friendships, it was perhaps only fitting that his friends were there, standing together, one last time.