Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jul 21: Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot, best known for directing the 1978 classic Don, passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 86 after battling pulmonary fibrosis for seven years.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who played the iconic role in Don, paid an emotional tribute on his blog. “Another and another sad moment.. Dear dear friend and my director of DON - Chandra Barot passed away this morning.. It is difficult to put into words the loss.. we worked together yes, but he was more a family friend than any else.. I can only pray,” he wrote.

Barot made his directorial debut with Don, stepping in to help actor-producer Nariman Irani recover from financial losses. With the script written by Salim-Javed — previously rejected by Dev Anand, Dharmendra and Jeetendra — the film went on to become a cult hit, marking a major milestone in Bollywood cinema.

Though Don remained his most successful film, Barot later directed Bengali movies Aashrita (1989) and Pyar Bhara Dil (1991). Several of his other projects, including Boss and Neil Ko Pakadna... Impossible, never saw completion.

His legacy lived on as Farhan Akhtar rebooted the Don franchise in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. Remembering Barot, Farhan posted on Instagram: “Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family.”

Chandra Barot’s passing is being mourned across the film industry, with many remembering him as the man who gave Bollywood one of its most legendary thrillers.