Overview
Don is an Indian Hindi-language action thriller film franchise centred on a fictional underworld figure named Don. The franchise originated with the 1978 film Don, directed by Chandra Barot and starring Amitabh Bachchan in the title role. It was later rebooted in 2006 by director Farhan Akhtar with Shah Rukh Khan playing Don, spawning a successful sequel and continuing as one of Hindi cinema's recognisable crime franchises.
Key facts
| Franchise name | Don |
|---|---|
| Original film | Don (1978) |
| Original director | Chandra Barot |
| Original writers | Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) |
| Original lead | Amitabh Bachchan |
| Reboot year | 2006 |
| Reboot director | Farhan Akhtar |
| Reboot lead | Shah Rukh Khan |
| Reboot production | Excel Entertainment |
| Language | Hindi |
| Genre | Action, crime, thriller |
Background
The original Don was written by the screenwriting duo Salim–Javed and produced by Nariman Irani. It featured Amitabh Bachchan in a double role as the ruthless smuggler Don and his lookalike, the simple paan-chewing Vijay, who is recruited by a police officer (DCP D'Silva, played by Iftekhar) to infiltrate Don's gang after the criminal's death. The film co-starred Zeenat Aman as Roma and Pran as Jasjit. Its music, composed by Kalyanji–Anandji, included the popular songs "Khaike Paan Banaras Wala" and "Yeh Mera Dil".
The 1978 film became a major commercial success and over time acquired cult status in Indian popular culture. It was remade in several Indian languages, including the Tamil film Billa (1980) starring Rajinikanth and the Telugu film Yugandhar (1979) starring N. T. Rama Rao.
Timeline
Don (1978)
Released on 12 May 1978, the film established the franchise's central premise: a feared international smuggler whose identity is replaced by a doppelgänger working with the police. The screenplay's twist ending and stylised action set pieces influenced subsequent Hindi crime cinema.
Don (2006)
Farhan Akhtar's reimagining, produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under Excel Entertainment, updated the story for a contemporary setting with shifts in plot and characterisation. Shah Rukh Khan played Don, with Priyanka Chopra as Roma, Arjun Rampal as Jasjit, Boman Irani as DCP D'Silva and Isha Koppikar as Kamini. The music was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. The film was shot extensively in Malaysia and was a commercial success.
Don 2 (2011)
Directed again by Farhan Akhtar and released in December 2011, Don 2 continued the story of Shah Rukh Khan's Don, with action shifting to Europe, particularly Berlin. The cast included Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan in a cameo. The film was released in 2D and 3D formats and performed strongly at the domestic and overseas box office. It was screened at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Special section.
Don 3
A third instalment in the rebooted series was announced by Excel Entertainment, with Farhan Akhtar attached as director. The project has been publicly associated with a change in lead casting from the earlier instalments.
Recurring characters
- Don – the central antagonist/protagonist, an international crime boss.
- Roma – a woman who infiltrates Don's gang seeking revenge.
- Jasjit – a former associate connected to Roma's backstory.
- DCP D'Silva – the senior police officer pursuing Don.
Music
The franchise's music has remained a notable element of its identity. Kalyanji–Anandji composed the 1978 score, while Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy handled the 2006 and 2011 films. Several tracks from the original, including "Khaike Paan Banaras Wala" (sung by Kishore Kumar) and "Yeh Mera Dil" (sung by Asha Bhosle), were reinterpreted in the reboot.
Remakes and adaptations
- Billa (1980, Tamil) – directed by R. Krishnamurthy, starring Rajinikanth.
- Yugandhar (1979, Telugu) – starring N. T. Rama Rao.
- Billa (2007, Tamil) – a reimagining starring Ajith Kumar, drawing on the lineage of the 1980 remake.
Significance
The Don franchise occupies a significant place in Hindi cinema for several reasons. The 1978 original is regarded as a landmark of the Salim–Javed era and helped consolidate Amitabh Bachchan's "angry young man" and anti-hero image. The 2006 reboot is among the more prominent attempts in Bollywood to revive a classic property with a slick, internationalised aesthetic, and along with Don 2 contributed to the trend of large-scale Indian films shot in foreign locations with high-end production values. The character of Don, his catchphrases and the franchise's title music have become part of Indian popular cultural memory.