Abhishek Bachchan grieves Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi's demise: You had faith in me, even when I didn’t

Sanjay Gadhvi

Filmmaker Sanjay Gadhvi passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 56. He was about to turn 57 in a few days. The director is best known for his films Dhoom and Dhoom 2. After his demise, Abhishek Bachchan who played the cop in both films took to Instagram to pen a heartwarming note for Gadhvi.

Sharing a picture of Sanjay on the sets of Dhoom 2, Bachchan wrote, "I took this photo of Sanjay whilst we were filming the climax of Dhoom 2 in South Africa. We made 2 films together - Dhoom and Dhoom 2. Sanju, when I spoke to you last week and we were reminiscing about our shoots and memories I would never have imagined even in my craziest dreams that I would have to write a post like this."

"I'm shocked beyond belief. You had faith in me, even when I didn't. You gave me my first ever hit!!! I can never ever forget that or be able express what it meant to me. I will cherish your friendship always. Rest in peace my brother," he added.

According to Gadhvi's daughter, the director was "perfectly healthy". "He passed away at 9.30 am this morning at his residence. We are not sure what it is, but it is most likely a heart attack. He wasn't unwell, he was perfectly healthy," Sanjina told PTI.

Kunal Kohli, director of 'Hum Tum' and 'Fanaa', was one of the first film personalities to condole Gadhvi's demise on social media. "This is beyond shocking. #SanjayGadhvi RIP never thought I'd have to write your obituary. Shared an office for many years at YRF, lunch dubbas, discussions. Will miss you my friend. This is too hard to accept," Kohli wrote in an X post.

Gadhvi made his directorial debut in 2000 with 'Tere Liye', which he followed up with 2002's 'Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai', his first project with Yash Raj Films.

The director gained attention with his third directorial, the stylish action thriller 'Dhoom'. which made motorbiking a rage among Indian youth in the early 2000s. The 2002 film followed the story of a cat and mouse game between a gang of motorbike robbers, led by Kabir (John Abraham), and Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan), a Mumbai cop who teams up with Ali (Uday Chopra), a motorbike dealer to stop them. It also starred Esha Deol and Rimi Sen. The success of "Dhoom" spawned a film franchise.