Rest in peace, 'legendary director Chandra Barot'

This morning, the well-known celebrity's Publicity relations officer, Mr. Indermohan Pannu, rang me and said, There is some unfortunate news to share. The legendary director of the film 'Don' Chandra Barot passed away. Om shanti. Many people don't know that after the huge success of Don, director Chandra Barot was offered many films. There was a film titled "Master" with Dilip Kumar in the title role, but the film couldn't progress much. Then there was a film named "Titali" with Sarika in the title role, but this too was shelved. Then there was an announcement of "Time" with Vinod Khanna and Chunky Pandey, its muhurat and party was held at Sun N Sand. This film remained up to the announcement only. Then he made "Pyar Bhara Dil," and the producer was Anees. Tushar Vora and Deepa were in the lead role. He had given seven parties during the making of the film, and in the film circle, he was named Anees Partywala. As Chandra Barot was a family member of Kamal Barod so Kamal graced many parties. My very dear friend Jagdish Aurangabadkar (well-known photographer) was the PR of the film. The film got completed and released. Though the film was not a hit, Chandra benefited. He married leading lady Deepa. Chandra Barot had his office at AC Market, Tardeo and my magazine's office too was there in the same building so I used to meet him on and often. Sometimes on stairs or lift or even in the washroom. He was really very humble. He is one example of how one super hit film can make the director immortal. May his soul rest in peace. " Indramohan Pannu Sir ended with a deep sigh.

Chandra Barot, Don Director, Passes Away at 86

Chandra Barot the famous film director in the Bollywood industry mainly remembered for making the classic movie 'Don' in 1978 with Amitabh Bachchan. Barot passed away at the age of 86 in July 2025. From last seven years he struggled with a serious lung illness called pulmonary fibrosis which made it difficult for him to breathe. He died in Mumbai and was being treated at Guru Nanak Hospital before his death.

Chandra Barot was born in Tanzania East Africa. Because of political problems and racial violence there,  his family moved to India in 1967. Before turning to movies he worked at Barclay's Bank in Tanzania. Once in India, he decided to work in films and started as an assistant director with the well-known actor-director Manoj Kumar on movies like 'Purab Aur Pachhim,' 'Shor' and 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan'.

"Don" was Chandra Barot’s first movie as a director. It was written by the famous writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar also known as Salim-Javed. When "Don" first came out it did not become a big hit immediately. But over time, people started to love the movie, making it a cult classic in Indian cinema. The movie is now seen as one of the best action-thriller films ever made in India. It made Amitabh Bachchan even more popular and helped set new trends for crime and style in Bollywood movies.

'Don' also inspired many remakes and sequels in different Indian languages. In Telugu it  was made in the name of 'Yugandhar' with NTR in Tamil it was made as 'Billa' with superstar Rajinikanth and in Malayalam as 'Shobaraj' with Mohanlal. Years later the famous actor and director Farhan Akhtar created a new version of 'Don' starring Shah Rukh Khan which became a new hit and even had a sequel. Another new movie in the franchise, called 'Don 3' is being planned with Ranveer Singh. 

Many people in the film industry paid tribute to Chandra Barot. Farhan Akhtar called him the "OG Don" and a true legend, expressing sadness over his passing and sending condolences to his family.

Even though 'Don' became very popular Chandra Barot could not repeat this success with his later movies. He directed some other films like 'Aashrita' (a Bengali film), 'Pyar Bhara Dil' and tried to make some more but many of these projects stayed unfinished or were not released.

Chandra Barot’s story is special. He showed that one film can change a person’s life. 'Don' is his gift to Indian cinema and continues to entertain new generations even today. His journey from Tanzania to India, working hard as an assistant and then making a movie that became a legend is inspiring for anyone who dreams of success in Bollywood.

  He passed away at the age of 86 in July 2025 in Mumbai. His wife, Deepa Barot confirmed that he had been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis (a lung disease) for seven years before his death. This information is confirmed by direct statements from his family and repeated across major news outlets.

Barot started his career by assisting famous director-actor Manoj Kumar on well-known films before making his own directorial debut with 'Don'.

The movie's (Don) music, story, and Amitabh Bachchan’s double role are commonly cited for its later popularity. This story, including its impact and cult status, is detailed in official film histories and in interviews.

The film has been remade and adapted into many regional languages. Later, Farhan Akhtar directed remakes with Shah Rukh Khan as the lead with more sequels planned, including 'Don 3' featuring Ranveer Singh.

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