Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, known for directing films such as Kaante, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Shootout at Wadala and Kaabil, died on October 30 after suffering a head injury at his Mumbai residence. He was 57. According to reports, he fell in the bathroom during the night. Sanjay is survived by his wife, Anuradha (Anu) Lekhi Gupta, and their two children.Sanjay’s love story with Anuradha had its share of twists and turns. The filmmaker married Anu on August 18, 1997, after dating her for around two-and-a-half years. However, the couple separated and divorced in 2003. While their marriage had ended, Sanjay never quite moved on from the relationship. He spent the following years trying to win her back, and in 2009, the two tied the knot once again. Over the years, both spoke about the reasons behind their separation and what eventually brought them back together.In one of his last interviews, with author Hussain Zaidi on his YouTube channel Hussain Zaidi Files, Sanjay revealed that his involvement in an underworld-related episode had also affected his marriage. Recalling how he had to keep certain details from Anu to protect her, he said the situation led to misunderstandings between them.Sanjay explained that there was an episode for which he had to have conversations to resolve a misunderstanding. A friend offered him an empty flat where he would wait for calls and speak to the concerned person. This continued for four to five months. However, since he could not tell Anu where he was going or what he was doing, she began suspecting that he was having an affair.“Because I cannot tell her where I am going. You are having an affair, she thought. I cannot tell her where I am going. I have to shield her from this,” he said.While acknowledging that there were other differences in their marriage, Sanjay said he personally felt this episode was one of the major reasons behind their separation.‘The problem in our marriage was me’: Sanjay on his first marriageSanjay had previously spoken about the mistakes he made during his first marriage. In a 2013 interview with The Times of India, he revealed that he married Anu when she was 21 and he was 29. He admitted that he was struggling professionally around that time and his behaviour also affected their relationship.Story continues below this ad“The problem in our marriage was me. I was not successful, was not working, was drinking myself silly and was womanising,” he said.He further revealed that he was in a relationship with actor Sameera Reddy for three years after separating from Anu, and had other relationships thereafter. However, he maintained that he never stopped caring for his former wife.“I never went off Anu and knew that it was my moral duty to look after her till she would remarry,” he said, adding that he continued supporting her financially. He also spoke about wanting her back in his life and how their bond with each other’s families remained intact.“I just decided that I had to have her back in my life. We then remarried in 2009 and have two kids now,” he said.Story continues below this adALSO READ: How did Sanjay Gupta die? Police suspect a kitchen fall, register accidental death reportSanjay never stopped trying to win Anu backEven during their separation, Sanjay had been vocal about his feelings for Anu. In a 2007 interview with Hindustan Times, he called her the only woman he had truly loved and said he had no intention of giving up on her.“I’ve always been in love with the only one woman in my life, ex-wife Anu. She is my true love. Everyone else will come and go,” he said.He also spoke about how they continued to remain close despite not being together. “We are not together but still very much together,” he said, adding that he would wait for her to return to him.Story continues below this adSanjay and Anu remarried in 2009 after six years apartBy October 2008, Sanjay had confirmed that they were planning to marry again. In an interview with Hindustan Times, conducted while he was shooting Acid Factory in Cape Town, he revealed that they had continued meeting during their separation, partly because of their pet dogs, Buddy and Yeda. He had also remained close to her family. Sanjay recalled proposing to Anu on their first date, which was on Valentine’s Day, and said he had spent the five years after their divorce trying to win her back.The couple eventually remarried on June 3, 2009, in a small ceremony at a temple in Khar, Mumbai. Speaking to The Times of India after the wedding, Sanjay said he had been pursuing Anu throughout their separation and called her his soulmate. “I have been stalking her all through these five years,” he said.Anu on their relationshipAnu, too, spoke about their separation and reconciliation in a 2024 conversation with Siddharth Kannan. She said the breakdown of their first marriage was not entirely Sanjay’s fault and that both had contributed to the situation.“We both had a part to play in it and I know that I had reached a point where I said I am done,” she said.Story continues below this adAddressing reports about Sanjay’s alleged affairs during their separation, Anu said she chose to trust him. “I chose not to believe he was having affairs. I chose to believe Sanjay over anyone else,” she said.She also revealed that she wanted to live independently after their divorce, but the two never completely lost touch. Sanjay would approach her every six months or so, asking if they could get back together. Their families also remained close, which helped maintain their bond.“Every year, or every six months, he would say, ‘Let’s get back together,'” she recalled. Anu added that when they finally decided to reunite, both were single and they got married again within a month.In the same conversation, Anu also spoke about attending some of the ‘Playboy-style’ parties Sanjay hosted at his bungalow during their separation. She said they had common friends and she would occasionally visit, spend time with them and leave.