Chandra Barot Death: Chandra Barot, the director of Don (1978), the original cult Hindi movie starring superstar Amitabh Bachchan, passed away in Mumbai on July 20, 2025. He was 86. Chandra Barot was suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. His wife Deepa Barot confirmed the news of his death to The Times of India. “He had been battling pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years,” she said. Chandra Barot was reportedly being treated at Guru Nanak Hospital, and also received treatment at Jaslok Hospital earlier. Know about Chandra Barot’s remarkable journey into films, from growing up and working in Tanzania to coming to India, joining Bollywood with Manoj Kumar and going on to direct Amitabh Bachchan in Don. 42 Years of DON: Amitabh Bachchan Recalls Winning The Best Actor Award, Sharing Honours With the Late Nutan and Dedicating The Win to a Special Person (View Tweet).

Who Was Chandra Barot? Know About His Unique Journey Into Films

There’s an interesting story about Chandra Barot’s beginnings in Bollywood, revealed by the director himself in a column to The Hindu in 2012. Chandra Barot was born and brought up in Tanzania and had to leave his job at the Barclays Bank in Dar-es-Salaam due to “racial turmoil”, which forced his family to leave the country in 1967. He wrote, “I was planning to settle in London but before going there I decided to visit my sister Kamal Barot, who was a playback singer in Hindi films.” Kamal Barot is credited with singing the famous song “Hansta Hua Noorani Chehra” from the film Parasmani (1963) with the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.

The director further revealed that during his India visit, he happened to meet the music composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji, who introduced him to legendary actor-director Manoj Kumar. Chandra Barot said that he observed some things about Manoj Kumar’s film Upkar (1967) and suggested changes before the film’s release. This impressed Manoj Kumar, who offered him a career in film direction. “He offered me to join him but I wanted to try my luck in London. When nothing worked out in London, I called him to enquire if the job offer still exists and when he said yes I joined him as an assistant on the salary of Rs.450 per month,” wrote Barot. Thus began the film journey of the Don director, career assisted on films such as Yaadgar (1970), Purab Aur Pashchim (1970), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) and Shor (1972).

Chandra Barot's Association With Amitabh Bachchan

Chandra Barot also revealed that he met Amitabh Bachchan’s mother Teji Bachchan in Delhi, when he accompanied singer Mahendra Kapoor for accepting the National Film Award for his song “Mere Desh Ki Dharti” from Upkar.  She was a member of the awards jury. She requested Chandra Barot to “take care of Munna (Amitabh Bachchan)”, as he was going to join films soon.

Chandra Barot went on to direct Amitabh Bachchan in Don, which is known as one of the most memorable roles of the actor. Barot later also directed a Bengali film Aashrita (1989), and had several shelved films in Hindi. He also made the film Pyar Bhara Dil in 1991. But he was most known for Don, a film that has made him immortal.

Amitabh Bachchan's Movie 'Don' - Watch Trailer:

Celebs Offer Condolences After Chandra Barot's Demise

Farhan Akhtar, who is the producer-director of the Don remakes titled Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) and Don 2 (2011) starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan, posted a condolence message on Instagram after the passing of Chandra Barot. Farhan wrote, “Saddened to learn that the director of the OG Don is no more. RIP Chandra Barot-ji. Deepest condolences to the family. 🙏🏽♥️”. Farhan Akhtar will now be directing Don 3, starring Ranveer Singh as the titular character. ‘Don 3’: Shooting for Ranveer Singh and Kiara Advani’s Spy Film Postponed – Reports.

Farhan Akhtar Mourns the Loss of Chandra Barot – See Post:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Farhan Akhtar (@faroutakhtar)

Amitabh Bachchan’s post on social media is awaited. A formal statement from the Barot family may follow after his demise.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2025 02:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).