Who Was Sanjay Gupta's Wife? Inside The Late Producer's Family With Beauty Queen Anuradha Lekhi
Sanjay Gupta and Anuradha Lekhi found their way back to each other after being divorced for six years. Meet the former Mrs World International who won the celebrated producer's heart.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSanjay Gupta, the filmmaker behind some of Bollywood's biggest hits such as Kaante, Zinda and Kaabil, has tragically died at the age of 57. News of his passing broke on the morning of October 31, 2026, with reports saying he died the night before.
The late director-producer was married to fashion designer and beauty queen Anuradha Lekhi, and they had an unusual love story. Six years later, they recommitted to each other in a wedding ceremony. Their relationship often attracted media attention, but Anuradha made news in 2024 after winning the Mrs World International pageant at the age of 50.
Who is Anuradha Lekhi? Inside her unusual love story with Sanjay Gupta
Anuradha Lekhi Gupta is a popular fashion designer and movie producer. She was born and raised in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and studied in a boarding school in Ooty. She says she was an introverted child growing up in a family of seven women and moved to Mumbai to pursue her higher studies at Sophia College. It was during her college years that she met Sanjay.
Anuradha had an interest in fashion from a very young age. At 19, she won the Miss Smile contest, but her life took a different turn when she met Sanjay. The couple fell madly in love, and at the age of 22, Anuradha married the filmmaker. However, after just six years of marriage, they separated via divorce.
Even after the divorce, the couple remained in touch, eventually realising they still shared a deep connection. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Anuradha spoke about their separation and said that both she and Sanjay were responsible for the failure of the marriage. She also addressed rumours about the Kaante director's alleged affairs and "playboy" image, saying she chose to trust him rather than believe everything she heard.
The couple eventually remarried in 2009. Anuradha described their second marriage as a "marriage of equals." They became parents to two children after renewing their vows. Their son, Shivaansh, was born in March 2011, followed by their daughter, Dalai, in January 2013. Sanjay was known as a devoted father. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved his family to their farmhouse in Khandala and reportedly built a treehouse to keep the children entertained during lockdown.
Professionally, Anuradha's career took off after her divorce from Sanjay. Instead of returning to her hometown in Coimbatore, she began living independently in Mumbai and pursued a career in the fashion industry. She spoke later about the tight beauty standards in the industry, especially in terms of expectations around body type, skin colour, and looks.
Despite those challenges, she continued to follow her interests and build her career. Anuradha reached a big personal milestone in June 2024 when she was crowned Mrs World International at the age of 50, with her family cheering from the crowd. She later recalled that hearing her children cheer for her during the competition helped her break into a smile on stage.
Anuradha's own fashion label, Anuradha Gupta, is known for statement kaftans, fluid resort wear, breezy co-ord sets, contemporary luxury Indian wear, and custom jackets with fringe and handcrafted detailing.
What happened to Sanjay Gupta? Here's what we know so far
Sanjay Gupta died on October 30, 2026, after reportedly suffering a fall at his home in Mumbai. According to reports, the incident went unnoticed until the following morning. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit confirmed the news on social media, saying he died of a head injury.
The event reportedly happened late Friday night when Gupta tripped and fell, hitting his head on a hard surface. His family was home, and at the time nobody knew what had transpired. He was found on the floor Saturday morning by family members and home staff, who transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Versova Police registered an accidental death complaint and, after preliminary investigations, discovered no foul play.
Gupta made his directorial debut in 1994 with Aatish: Feel the Fire and went on to make a lasting mark with films like Kaante, Musafir, Zinda, Shootout at Wadala, and Kaabil. He spent decades cementing his name in the Hindi film industry with his stylised action sequences and modernised crime-led tales.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Anuradha and the kids as they navigate this unexpected tragedy.
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