Chandra Barot, director of Bollywood classic Don, dies at 86; Farhan Akhtar calls him ‘OG’

Chandra Barot, renowned for directing the 1978 Bollywood hit Don, has died at 86. The movie marked his directorial debut and starred Amitabh Bachchan. The film is widely considered to be one of the greatest Hindi films of all time and was remade in several Indian languages. The news of his passing was confirmed by his wife, Deepa Barot.

Battling Pulmonary Fibrosis for Years

Speaking to TOI, she shared that he had been struggling with pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years. She mentioned that he was receiving treatment at Guru Nanak Hospital under Dr Manish Shetty and, prior to that, had spent time at Jaslok Hospital.

Farhan Akhtar pays tribute to the late director

Director Farhan Akhtar, who would direct the 2006 Don reboot starring Shah Rukh Khan and its sequel Don 2 in 2011, paid tribute to the late filmmaker: “Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family.”

While Don was a financial success upon release, the director, cast and crew had a hard time completing the film due to budget constraints. In past interviews, Chandra Barot shared how the picture finally came together thanks to the goodwill of the movie's cinematographer, Nariman Irani, who decided to co-produce the film.

Barot’s career beyond ‘Don’

Chandra Barot started his film career working as an assistant director for legendary filmmaker and actor Manoj Kumar with the 1970 film Purab Aur Pachhim. After the success of Don, he went on to direct the hit Bengali film Aashrita in 1989.

Tributes from fans and celebrities have been paid. While the filmmaker may have directed only a handful of films, his contribution to Indian cinema has left a lasting legacy. His work continues to inspire filmmakers and entertain audiences decades later. Since the news of his passing, tributes have been pouring in from the film fraternity.