Sanjay Gadhvi, director of 'Dhoom', 'Dhoom 2', dead at 57

According to sources, Sanjay Gadhvi suffered a heart attack. (Image: sanjaygadhvi4/Instagram)

Filmmaker Sanjay Gadhvi passed away on Sunday. According to sources, he suffered a heart attack. He was 56.

Gadhvi, who was three days shy of his 57th birthday, is best known for helming two blockbuster hits in the Yash Raj Films' Dhoom franchise -- Dhoom (2004) and Dhoom 2 (2006). 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.

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 (YRF).

In a statement shared on X, the studio said the "magic Gadhvi created on the screen will be cherished forever". "May his soul rest in peace. #SanjayGadhvi," it further read.

Gadhvi gained prominence with his third directorial, the stylish action thriller Dhoom, which made motorbiking a rage among Indian youth in the early 2000s. The 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. The success of Dhoom spawned a film franchise. His last release was the 2020 film Operation Parindey.

Besides Sanjini, Gadhvi is survived by his wife and another daughter.

Read more: 'Shocked beyond belief': Abhishek Bachchan on death of 'Dhoom' director Sanjay Gadhvi