Chandra Barot, best known for directing Amitabh Bachchan’s Don, passes away at 86

Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot passed away at the age of 86 following a prolonged battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Best known for directing Amitabh Bachchan’s all-time blockbuster Don (1978), which went on to inspire multiple remakes and legacy sequels across various languages, Barot reportedly breathed his last at a hospital in Bandra, Mumbai, on Sunday.

Confirming his passing, the filmmaker’s wife Deepa Barot told Times of India, “He had been battling pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years.” Upon hearing the news, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who helmed the 2006 remake of Don, took to social media to express his grief. “Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family,” he shared along with a photo of the director.

Born in Tanzania, Chandra Barot and his family moved to India in 1967 due to racial unrest in East Africa. After working as an assistant director on a few films, he made an enviable debut with Don, written by legendary screenwriting duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar (popularly known as Salim–Javed). Not only was the film a massive commercial success, but it also became one of the most beloved action thrillers in Indian cinema history. Besides helping cement Amitabh Bachchan‘s status as a superstar, it was also remade across multiple languages, with the biggest stars of the respective industries stepping into the central dual roles.

While Don was remade in Telugu as Yugandhar (1979) starring NT Rama Rao (NTR), in Tamil, it became Billa (1980) with Rajinikanth. The film marked a turning point in the Tamil actor’s rise to superstardom. The Malayalam version, Shobaraj (1986), featured Mohanlal in the lead role.

Years later, Javed Akhtar‘s son Farhan Akhtar rebooted the film with Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role. Much like the OG version, the remake also became a massive hit, leading to a successful sequel in 2011. A third instalment, Don 3, starring Ranveer Singh, is currently in the works. Billa also inspired its own franchise, with a Telugu remake in 2009 starring Prabhas and Tamil reboots in 2007 and 2012 starring Ajith Kumar.

Despite Don‘s success, Chandra Barot couldn‘t capitalise on its momentum. He later directed the Bengali films Aashrita (1989) and Pyar Bhara Dil (1991). Several of his other projects, including Boss and Neil Ko Pakadna… Impossible, remained incomplete or unreleased.