Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot, best known for directing the 1978 cult classic Don starring Amitabh Bachchan, has passed away at the age of 86 in a Mumbai hospital. His wife, Deepa Barot, confirmed that he had been battling pulmonary fibrosis for the past seven years. Barot was under treatment at Guru Nanak Hospital and had previously been admitted to Jaslok Hospital.

Barot's Don remains a landmark film in Bollywood history. Made to support his close friend and cinematographer-producer Nariman Irani, the film became a blockbuster. According to Wikipedia, Don was the third highest-grossing Indian film of 1978 and was declared a golden jubilee by Box Office India.

Before directing Don, Barot had returned to India from Tanzania due to racial unrest. He began his career in the Hindi film industry as an assistant director with actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar. He assisted Kumar in films like Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Yaadgaar, and Shor.

The making of Don was not without its challenges. Nariman Irani shared a modified story idea with Chandra Barot, who developed it into the film Don. The film took three and a half years to complete, and Irani died in an accident before filming was completed. Barot faced budget restraints but received aid to finish the film.

Initially, Don was not a success. Barot showed the film to his mentor, Manoj Kumar, who suggested adding a song to break up the action. The song "Khaike Paan Banaraswala" was added, and the film's fortunes turned around. The profits from the film were given to Irani's widow to settle her husband's debts.

After Don, Barot directed the 1989 Bengali film Aashrita, which was commercially successful. However, some of his other projects, such as Hong Kong Wali Script and Neil Ko Pakadna…Impossible, were shelved.

In a 2006 interview, Barot reflected on his career, stating, "I made one film -- Don -- and will always be remembered for it". He also mentioned that he had received 52 offers after Don but could not complete the films he started, including Master with Dilip Kumar and Titli with Sarika.

Don was remade in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. Farhan Akhtar directed the remake, which was also a commercial success, leading to a sequel, Don 2.

The news of Chandra Barot's death has been met with tributes from the film industry. Farhan Akhtar paid tribute to Barot, acknowledging him as the "OG" Don director.