"It was not his time to go” was the sentiment echoed across the Hindi film industry following filmmaker Sanjay Gupta’s accidental death at his Mumbai residence. The 57-year-old filmmaker suffered a head injury after accidentally falling in his kitchen on Friday (October 30). Friends and collaborators remembered his spirited nature and passion for cinema.

Shabana Azmi, who co-produced the 2007 anthology Dus Kahaaniyan with Gupta and later acted in his Jazbaa (2015), said she could not believe she was speaking about him in the past tense. “On the sets, he gave a lot of freedom to his actors after giving them an outline of what he had in mind. He was positive, always enthusiastic, and a very good producer. Sanjay was always full of stories and a keen cineaste,” Azmi told mid-day.

Known for slick actioners featuring cool anti-heroes and thumping music, Gupta made his mark with Kaante (2002) and Musafir (2004). Producer Rangita Nandy, whose father Pritish Nandy co-produced Kaante, revealed that she and Gupta had recently discussed a sequel.

“Sanjay and we made an unforgettable film. Kaante, which remains a defining film — distinctive in its storytelling, stylish in its execution, and unforgettable for the way it brought together an exceptional cast and a gripping heist narrative. He was always keen to make a sequel. It’s unfortunate that that wish will remain a dream,” she said.

Writer and director Milap Zaveri, who co-wrote Kaante’s dialogues, remembered Gupta as his mentor. “He gave me Kaante at 21. Then resurrected my career again with Musafir, and Shootout At Wadala [2013]. He was my father. My teacher. I’m heartbroken.”

Gupta’s last directorial was The Miranda Brothers (2024). Its lead actor, Harshvardhan Rane, remembered his warmth and love for family. “He was all about loving his family and making films non-stop. During shoot, he often took Meezaan [Jafri] and me out to eat in Goa. I had never met a happier man on and off set. He had a huge heart, and I will miss him dearly,” Rane added.

Royal drama has surrounded The Royals ever since its second season went on floors. In May, we reported that Bhumi Pednekkar wouldn’t reprise her role in the Netflix series (Love lost in palace, May 10), while director Jasmeet K Reen exited the project last month.

So, what’s happening on the Ishaan Khatter-led romantic comedy? mid-day’s got the latest development — turns out, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar  co-director Mitakshara Kumar has begun helming the series in Jaipur, and Hunkkaar: The Roar co-director Nitya Mehra will join soon.

Apparently, Reen had filmed for five days, but the portions will now be reshot under Kumar’s guidance. The production is said to have also revisited the written material. This indicates an extensive production reset rather than a straightforward change of director.

A source revealed, “The shoot has now resumed in Jaipur with Mitakshara and the team is working on the revised version. The unit’s focus now is to complete its daily schedule. The team is effectively starting afresh and has to make up for the time lost while keeping the budgets in check.”

From what we’ve heard, under the leadership of Reen, who previously helmed Darlings (2022), The Royals 2 unit struggled to complete each day’s planned scenes. The growing backlog prompted producers Rangita Nandy and Ishita Nandy to reassess the footage shot. 

The source added, “Jasmeet could not align with the show’s scale. Everyone on set was confused on the first few days because she wasn’t giving any direction on how to navigate. We never finished the shoot on any of those days. Every day scenes would pile up to be filmed the next day. The new directors will reshoot her five days’ scenes because nothing was looking good as per what was expected of the pilot.”