He had been battling a long illness and was receiving treatment for pulmonary fibrosis at Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital. His wife, Deepa Barot, confirmed the sad news.
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India lost one of its veteran filmmakers as Chandra Barot, the man behind the legendary 1978 film ‘Don’, passed away at the age of 86.
He had been battling a long illness and was receiving treatment for pulmonary fibrosis at Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital. His wife, Deepa Barot, confirmed the sad news.
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For Indian cinema lovers, ‘Don’ isn’t just another film, it’s a landmark moment in Bollywood history. Barot’s directorial skills turned it into a cult classic, with dialogues and scenes still remembered and referenced today.
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The film starred Amitabh Bachchan in one of his most famous double roles, playing both the suave underworld don and his lookalike Vijay.
Amitabh Bachchan, deeply affected by the news, shared his thoughts on his blog. “Dear dear friend and my director of ‘Don’ – Chandra Barot passed away this morning. It is difficult to put in words the loss… we worked together, yes, but he was more a family friend than anyone else. I can only pray,” he wrote.
Barot’s journey in the film world began long before ‘Don’. He worked as an assistant director under Manoj Kumar for the film ‘Purab Aur Pachhim’. But it was ‘Don’ that truly defined his career.
The film not only became a box office success but also grew into a cultural phenomenon over the decades. Its influence stretched far, inspiring remakes and sequels.
The Shah Rukh Khan-led ‘Don’ reboot in the 2000s brought the story to a new generation, though it stirred some debate among purists.
After ‘Don’, Barot tried his hand at other projects. In 1990, he directed the Bengali film ‘Aashrita’, which managed to earn ₹3 crore at the time, a significant sum that would be worth around ₹32 crore today.
Unfortunately, not all his projects saw the light of day. Some, like ‘Hong Kong Wali Script’ and ‘Neil Ko Pakadna….Impossible’, remained unfinished.
Filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who directed the modern ‘Don’ films, also expressed his grief. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, “Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family.”
Despite making only a handful of films, Chandra Barot’s contribution to Indian cinema remains unforgettable.
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