Don Director Chandra Barot Passes Away At 86 After 7-Year Battle With Pulmonary Fibrosis

Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot, famous for the 1978 film Don which stars Amitabh Bachchan in lead role, passes away after a seven-year long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

(Image: @faroutakhtar/ Instagram)

New Delhi: Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot died at 86 after a seven-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He is known for the cult classic 1978 film 'Don' which stars Amitabh Bachchan. Barot took his last breath on Sunday, July 20. His wife, Deepa Barot, confirmed the demise. Speaking to TOI she said, 'He had been battling pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years.'  

Deepa Barot further revealed that the veteran filmmaker was undergoing treatment at Guru Nanak Hospital under the care of Dr Manish Shetty. He had also been admitted to Jaslok Hospital earlier.

Farhan Akhtar, who directed Don 2 and directing the third installment of the franchise, took to Instagram and paid emotional tribute to Chandra Barot on his post read, 'Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family.'

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Farhan Akhtar (@faroutakhtar)

About Chandra Barot

Chandra Barot was born into a family that later moved to Dar-es-Salaam, South Africa, due to political uncertainty in the 1930s. He worked at Barclays Bank in Tanzania before pursuing a career in filmmaking. Barot eventually moved to India and, under the mentorship of Manoj Kumar, joined the film industry. He contributed several cult classics to Indian cinema and also worked as an assistant director on various projects.

Chandra Barot Movies And Critically Acclaimed Work

Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot made his directorial debut with the 1978 cult classic Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. This bold move came after actor-producer Nariman Irani faced financial difficulties following the failure of Zindagi Zindagi (1972). Barot and his associates decided to produce Don, bringing on board the acclaimed writer duo Salim–Javed. He also worked as an assistant director on films like Purab Aur Pashchim, Yaadgaar, Shor, and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. Following Don's chartbuster success, he directed the Bengali film Aashrita (1989) and Pyar Bhara Dil (1991). However, many of his later projects, including Boss, Neil Ko Pakadna... Impossible, and Hong Kong Wali Script, were never released.

Chandra Barot's Cinematic Legacy 

Critically acclaimed director Chandra Barot's cinematic legacy lives on through the Don franchise. The 2006 film Don and its sequel Don 2, directed by Farhan Akhtar and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, revived the classic. Now, Akhtar is back with Don 3, which is set to begin shooting in January 2026, with Ranveer Singh taking on the lead role bringing the magic of the action-thriller franchise back to the big screen.