MUMBAI, July 20— Chandra Barot, the filmmaker who directed the 1978 cult classic Don starring Amitabh Bachchan, passed away early Sunday morning in Mumbai. He was 86.
Barot died at Guru Nanak Hospital in Bandra around 6:30 a.m. following a cardiac arrest brought on by a chest infection. His wife, Deepa Barot, confirmed that he had been suffering from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease, for over a decade.
“Chandra passed away due to cardiac arrest caused by a chest infection. He had IPF, which is fibrosis of the lungs, for the past 11 years,” Deepa said.
Born and raised in Tanzania, Barot initially worked in banking before moving to India to pursue a career in cinema. He entered the Hindi film industry as an assistant director, working closely with actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar on several iconic films including Purab Aur Pachhim, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Yaadgaar, and Shor.
His directorial debut, Don, became one of the defining films of 1970s Bollywood and helped cement Amitabh Bachchan’s status as the ‘angry young man’ of Hindi cinema. Written by the celebrated screenwriting duo Salim-Javed, Don fused stylized action with suspense and catchy music, earning it a lasting legacy in Indian pop culture.
Barot directed only one other film in his career — the 1989 Bengali movie Aashrita. Despite his brief filmography, his impact on Indian cinema, particularly through Don, has been enduring.
He is survived by his wife, Deepa, and a son.
In 2006, filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, son of co-writer Javed Akhtar, revived Don with a slick reboot under his banner Excel Entertainment. The remake starred Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role and spawned a sequel, Don 2, in 2011.
The franchise continues to evolve. A third installment is currently in the works, with actor Ranveer Singh set to take on the titular role, marking a new chapter in the iconic series that began under Chandra Barot’s direction nearly five decades ago.
