Every filmmaker has a beginning, and for Sanjay Gupta, it was Aatish: Feel The Fire. Released in 1994, the film starred Sanjay Dutt, Aditya Pancholi, Atul Agnihotri and Raveena Tandon. It told the story of two brothers whose lives take very different turns as they grow up. The film also marked the beginning of Gupta’s long association with Sanjay Dutt.
2. Khauff (2000)
With Khauff, Gupta took audiences into a world full of fear, suspense and danger. The film featured Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala and Sharad Kapoor. It followed a woman who witnesses a murder and soon finds herself in trouble.
3. Kaante (2002)
Ask any Bollywood fan about Sanjay Gupta, and chances are Kaante will be one of the first films they mention. Released in 2002, the film brought together Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Lucky Ali and Kumar Gaurav. It followed six Indian men in Los Angeles who plan a bank robbery. But things get complicated when they start suspecting that one of them could be a police informer.
4. Musafir (2004)
Gupta reunited with Sanjay Dutt for Musafir, which also starred Anil Kapoor, Sameera Reddy and Mahesh Manjrekar. The film followed a man who gets caught in a dangerous situation after crossing paths with a gangster. It was full of action, twists and memorable music. The song Saaki became particularly popular and is still remembered by music lovers.
5. Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)
If there was one film that showed how well Gupta understood Mumbai’s underworld stories, it was Shootout at Lokhandwala. Based on the 1991 police shootout at Lokhandwala Complex, the film featured Vivek Oberoi, Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Suniel Shetty, Arbaaz Khan and Tusshar Kapoor. Vivek played gangster Maya Dolas, while Sanjay Dutt portrayed police officer A.A. Khan.
6. Shootout at Wadala (2013)
Gupta returned to Mumbai’s underworld with Shootout at Wadala. This time, John Abraham played gangster Manya Surve, while Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Tusshar Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Sonu Sood were also part of the cast. Based on the story of the first recorded police encounter in Mumbai, the film explored Manya Surve’s journey into the underworld and his eventual encounter with the police.
7. Jazbaa (2015)
Not every Sanjay Gupta film was about gangsters and guns. With Jazbaa, he explored a more emotional story. The film marked Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s return to the big screen after a break and also starred Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi and Jackie Shroff. Aishwarya played a lawyer whose daughter is kidnapped. To save her, she is forced to fight a difficult case involving a convicted criminal.
8. Kaabil (2017)
