{
  "id": 17412924,
  "title": "'I love My Life; Someone Up There Is Kind': Remembering Director Sanjay Gupta",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/i-love-my-life-someone-up-there-is-kind-remembering-director-sanjay",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T13:03:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/i-love-my-life-someone-up-there-is-kind-remembering-director-sanjay-gupta"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sanjay Gupta celebrated his birthday on October 23, just a week before his death. Before the passing, he invited me to his home to participate in an annual puja, an event called Mata Ki Chowki. The next day, he participated wholeheartedly in the rituals and bhajans, later joining me at the buffet where he encouraged me to indulge in various dishes. Gupta made sure I collected prasad and a gift from his wife, Anu, who had remarried him in 2009.\n\nGupta's passion for movies was undeniable, and he was well-read on international cinema. He enjoyed discussing films during lunch, often with a Punjabi feast at hand. His Bollywood productions, however, were criticized as lacking substance and style. Some of Gupta's notable works include Khauff (2000), Zinda (2006), Kaante (2002), and Jazbaa (2015).\n\nTragedy struck in December 2002 when Gupta met a fatal accident due to a burst tyre and sudden braking. He spent some time in the hospital and claimed to have experienced a second birth. Despite the accident, Gupta continued to be an influential figure in Bollywood, working on his biographies of Hollywood legends. In his final days, Gupta was involved in the production of Kaabil, which was planned to be released in 2016 but unfortunately, his life was cut short.",
  "summary": "Sanjay Gupta had a birthday (October 23) exactly a week before he passed. And, as always, he was on top of the world. A few days before his birthday, he invited me for the Mata Ki Chowki (October 19), an annual puja in his bungalow. “We all need Mata Rani’s blessings,” he said. And, on puja day, he immersed himself in the rituals and bhajans. Of course, minutes later, he would also insist on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}