Kaabil 2 was already in development before Sanjay Gupta’s death

Rakesh Roshan has revealed that filmmaker Sanjay Gupta had already written the script for Kaabil 2, and that the sequel was moving forward with Hrithik Roshan’s approval before Gupta died suddenly over the weekend. Gupta, 59, passed away after an accidental fall at his Versova residence on Friday night.

A sequel was closer than fans knew

In a conversation with Mid-Day, Rakesh Roshan said Gupta had been developing two or three subjects for around two years. The one that got the clearest signal was Kaabil 2. “He had written the script for Kaabil 2. Hrithik and I had heard the script and liked it,” Rakesh Roshan said. “We were working on it when, all of a sudden, this happened.”

That changes how fans can look at the original revenge drama. A sequel was not just a wishful internet rumour; it had a script, a producer and a lead actor who had heard the material and responded positively.

What we know about the unfinished plan

• Sanjay Gupta had completed the Kaabil 2 script.
• Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan heard it and liked it.
• Two or three other Gupta subjects remained unlocked after two years.
• Police are treating the death as accidental, with no family complaint.

A director the Roshans trusted

Rakesh Roshan described Gupta as a close friend and “a very good soul,” and recalled the working rhythm on Kaabil. Gupta, he said, discussed creative decisions before every shoot, so Rakesh never needed to visit the sets. He added that when he saw the first copy, he told Gupta, “You have far exceeded my imagination.”

That trust extended to the Krrish franchise, where Gupta was involved in discussions on the third and fourth instalments. Rakesh Roshan remembered their exchanges as calm and collaborative, without ego or arguments, and praised Gupta’s directing craft: “He was a commercial director with sound technical knowledge, including shot-taking and lighting.”

The industry says goodbye

Gupta’s last rites were performed at the Versova crematorium on Saturday evening; his son Shivansh and daughter Dalai lit the funeral pyre. Rakesh Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rajpal Yadav and Rajat Bedi were among those present. Manoj Bajpayee, Fardeen Khan, Sonu Sood, Harshvardhan Rane, Gulshan Grover and Farah Khan were among those who visited the family’s residence.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit called the loss “emotional” and said it would take time to sink in. Police said Gupta suffered a head injury after falling inside his home around midnight on Friday, and that family members and a domestic helper were asleep when it happened. The Versova Police Station is investigating the case as an accidental death.

What the loss leaves behind

For Bollywood fans, the news makes the grief sharper: a sequel they did not know was real is now uncertain. It also shows how much of Hindi film development lives in the relationships and unproduced scripts of one filmmaker. The industry’s next question will be whether the Kaabil story can continue in Gupta’s absence, or whether it remains a beloved one-off.

Source: The Times of India