- "Ready to rock and ruin."
- ― Gupta after programming a stolen missile to strike Beijing.
Henry Gupta was a American "techno-terrorist" in the employ of media baron Elliot Carver. A supporting antagonist portrayed by the late American stage magician, actor, and writer, Ricky Jay, the character first appeared in the 1997 James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, and was subsequently adapted in Raymond Benson's accompanying novelization as well in 1999 video game adaptation of the film.
Biography[]
Intent on starting a war between the United Kingdom and China, Elliot Carver sends Henry Gupta to a terrorist arms bazaar to purchase an American military GPS encoder. Using this device, Gupta meacons the GPS signal and sends the British frigate HMS Devonshire off-course into Chinese-held waters in the South China Sea, where Carver's stealth ship sinks the frigate with a sea drill and steals one of its missiles. Afterwards, his men shoot down a Chinese J-7 fighter jet sent to investigate the British presence, and kill the Devonshire's survivors with Chinese weaponry. After the Devonshire is sunk, Gupta is informed by Stamper that Phase 1 is complete.
When looking through the sound files of Carver's satellite launch event, Gupta hears Bond talking to Paris. When he shows Carver the footage, Carver decides to have his wife killed by Dr. Kaufman.
While infiltrating Carver's agency at Hamburg, Bond sneaks into Gupta's bureau and opens his safe, finding the GPS encoder inside and returning it back to the American military. He and his partner Wai Lin soon learn that Gupta has programmed the stolen missile to be launched into Beijing which will start off World War III and that Carver is planning to exploit the event to obtain China's broadcasting rights by having General Chang to take over as the new leader of China.
Sneaking aboard the ship with Lin after informing their governments about the plot, Bond takes Gupta hostage in front of Carver and his men. After a brief discussion with Bond about his plans, Carver asks Gupta if the missile is ready to fire. When Gupta says it is, Carver remarks, "Then it seems you've outlived your contract", and shoots Gupta, killing him. The terrorist's body is later vaporised when the Stealth Ship explodes.
Alternate continuities[]
Tomorrow Never Dies (novelisation)[]
To be added
Tomorrow Never Dies (video game)[]
To be added
Behind the Scenes[]
Bruce Feirstein said he named this character after a Gupta Bakery, which he passed on the way to the studios.[2] Gupta is usually a name of Indian origin. Gupta's character portrayal is based on the real-life Apple co-founder Stephen Wozniak.
In one of the deleted scenes of the film, Gupta throws some playing cards at a wall and they stick to it, which shows Gupta can partly fight. In another deleted scene when Bond was shooting up the place, Gupta tries to throw a card at Bond, but misses and hits a henchman instead.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ (1997). Tomorrow Never Dies (Blu-Ray). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Event occurs at 00:25:20. "Friday 11, April, 1997 Late Edition"
- ↑ Dye, Kerry Douglas. "His Word is Bond: An Interview With 007 Screenwriter Bruce Feirstein", LeisureSuit.net, 15 November 1999. Retrieved on 5 January 2007.