It was another October and a Diwali weekend when Don: The Chase Begins (2006) hit theatres, buzzing with hype.
The original 1978 Don was a huge blockbuster, with Amitabh Bachchan at his coolest, playing double roles and dropping lines that fans still quote. So when Farhan Akhtar decided to remake it with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, eyebrows shot up. This wasn't some forgotten film. Big B's Don was still very much alive in the public imagination. So why mess with a classic that never left?
It was also the time Shah Rukh Khan seemed to step into Amitabh Bachchan's legendary shoes. Don was the first move, followed by him taking over as host of Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati (season 2). The industry was buzzing with whispers of a cold war between the two icons. And yes, the famous SRK-Priyanka stories began floating around the same time.
So what was Bollywood really up to in 2006? Let's rewind and find out what went behind Farhan Akhtar's and SRK's Don.
Reimagining Of Don And Hrithik's Near-Miss
Farhan Akhtar burst onto the scene with the stylish hit Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and followed it up with Lakshya (2004), which earned critical praise but stumbled at the box office, which shook him up. It was during Lakshya's making that he toyed with remaking Don. "The goal wasn't simply recreation, it was reimagination," Farhan had said.
Since he was already working with Hrithik Roshan, Farhan naturally brought the idea to him. "I reached out to Hrithik and said, 'I'm thinking I'm going to remake Don.' He said, 'Sounds amazing, dude!' I said, 'Let me write it and I'll bring it to you.' So he said, 'Cool.'"
Lakshya's underwhelming performance also meant Farhan needed a hit. Also, as the script of Don came together, it was Shah Rukh Khan who kept popping into his mind. Farhan recalled, "I'd already given my word to Hrithik. So I called up Hrithik and told him, 'I'm writing the film I spoke to you about. But the more I'm writing, I'm feeling I should reach out to Shah Rukh for this film. I'll never forget, he said, 'Farhan, you've to make your film, and in the best way possible. If you think he's the guy, please go ahead and call him. Don't worry about me.' That is a very gracious thing."
The moment Shah Rukh Khan signed on, whispers of a cold war quietly brewing between him and Amitabh Bachchan began. SRK tried to brush it off. Amitabh remained silent, but a few years later, he commented on it in an interview, "Tomorrow, you never know, they will say that the original Don was Shah Rukh Khan! But the original Don was made with Chandra Barot and me. These things will change with each generation, but an original will always be original."
Of all the iconic Salim-Javed films, Farhan felt Don was the best fit for a remake, but it was interesting to note that Javed Akhtar didn't share her son's thought. In a 2006 Rediff interview, he was asked if given the chance to remake any of his films, would it be Don? Javed Akhtar replied, " Perhaps not. I see what Farhan's point is, and it is totally valid, it is a good point. But if I had to choose from my own films, I would pick one that after writing it and after watching it on screen, I felt oh god, I should have done this or that. So I would like to remake it, rewrite it to mend that mistake. As a writer, I don't have a problem with Don (1978), so why would I want to remake it?"
Casting
With Shah Rukh Khan stepping boldly into Amitabh Bachchan's iconic role, Priyanka Chopra was cast as the glamorous Roma. It was her first film with SRK and the one that catapulted her into the big league. Akshay Kumar was initially approached for the role originally played by Pran, but when that didn't work out, Arjun Rampal stepped in. The supporting cast included seasoned names like Boman Irani and Om Puri. The casting struck a balance between honoring the original and bringing a fresh, stylish edge for a new generation.
The Making
Farhan locked down not just the film rights but the music too, aiming to craft new tracks inspired by the original. It helped that Javed Akhtar, one half of the legendary Salim-Javed duo, was his dad. Farhan also got a thumbs-up from Salim Khan himself to retell the story.
We all know the story: ruthless Don and his innocent double, Vijay. Recruited by the police to impersonate Don, Vijay dives headfirst into a deadly game caught between the law and Don's deadly enemies, where one slip could cost him everything.
The 1978 Don was made on a shoestring budget. Producer Nariman Irani was drowning in debt and died mid-shoot. Released with zero promotion, it tanked in the first week only to bounce back and become a cult hit. This time, Farhan's Don had no budget limits. His vision for the remake was to keep the spirit of the original with the swagger and dialogue, but treat it like a 21st-century slick actioner.
To pull this off, Farhan revamped the climax, switched up the settings, and gave the whole film a fresh, modern vibe. The main location was Malaysia, covering Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, and over 42 locations across 70 days. Interestingly, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who had previously refused even Hollywood films to shoot at the Petronas Towers, allowed the Don crew to film inside his personal office in the towers. They also hit up Paris and several spots in Mumbai.
To bring the slick action of Don to life, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, and Arjun Rampal trained in martial arts with experts from the legendary Shaolin Temple. Farhan Akhtar also brought in Hollywood muscle for the big set pieces. Special effects wizard Angelo Sahin (Mission: Impossible 2) and aerial stunt maestro Joe Jennings (Charlie's Angels) were roped in to craft the film's high-octane action.
During one of the shoots, Shah Rukh lost his wedding ring and joked that if it wasn't found, he'd have to get married all over again, sparking a frantic ring hunt by the entire crew.
Don And The Jungly Billi
It feels like ages ago, but this was actually the first film where SRK and Priyanka Chopra acted together. Priyanka had never hidden her crush on Shah Rukh. Long before her famous shy moments on Koffee with Karan, hearing Shah Rukh's name, Priyanka had already opened up about her crush.
Back in 2003, she told Cine Blitz: " What's sexy about Shah Rukh? Everything! He's my favouritest! In the song 'Suraj Hua Maddham,' dressed in those loose kurtas... mmm, he looks absolutely sexy. His eyes are the sexiest... they can look right through you. I've always had a huge crush on Shah Rukh Khan. Not the 'I-love-you-want-to-marry-you' kind- it's more like idolization. I just love everything about the man. He can't go wrong anywhere."
When they finally worked together in Malaysia, rumours about them started. It was the first time in Shah Rukh's 15-year career that people talked about his closeness with a co-star. Magazines were full of stories about how Priyanka was smitten and how Shah Rukh took great care of her.
I absolutely love their interviews together. One standout is a gem with The Times of India:
Question: SRK, you call her a jungly billi in one dialogue, is she like that?
SRK: "She's my tame rat."
PC: "I'm not a rat, and I'm certainly not tamed."
PC: "Please find a better-looking animal to compare me to."
SRK: "Ok, she's my tame rabbit. Look, I am extremely, extremely, extremely fond of her and I have a huge amount of genuine love and respect for her talent."
Neither SRK nor Priyanka ever confirmed the rumours, but the sparks were enough to keep the media buzzing for years.
The Diwali Clash
Released on 20th October 2006, Don faced lukewarm reviews. SRK hit back, saying: "Their criticism and appreciation can no longer be taken seriously... there are more of them with less knowledge." To prove his point, he promised a sequel.
Don was released alongside another biggie, the Salman-Akshay starrer Jaan-E-Mann. While it didn't become a blockbuster, Don comfortably won the box office clash, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2006. Jaan-E-Mann, meanwhile, flopped hard. Hrithik's Dhoom 2 was the top-grossing movie of the year.
Who's The Better Don?
Critics weren't exactly kind to SRK stepping into Big B's shoes. Almost every review talked about the comparison between Bachchan and Khan. Shah Rukh said, "This whole comparison to the old Don is bullshit. It has to be seen as a film on its own."
Over the years so much has been said about Amitabh's Don versus SRK's, but rewatching Farhan Akhtar's version recently, I genuinely had fun. SRK's modern, sleek charm felt like carving out a distinct identity beyond Big B's shadow, which is no small feat considering Amitabh's Don was all raw power and old-school badassery. Both owned their eras with unmatched swagger.
Old-timers might disagree, but on rewatch, I found the modern Roma (Priyanka) far more glamorous, confident, and with a sharper, better-written role than Zeenat Aman in the original Don.
Musically, the new Don delivered a certified banger with the brilliantly filmed Aaj Ki Raat, and a slick, fresh take on the iconic title track. But the recreated classics Yeh Mera Dil and Khaike Paan Banaraswala missed the mark, falling flat both in sound and on screen.
I still remember watching it on Diwali day in 2006, and that twist in the climax felt like the coolest thing ever. It flipped the script, and for the first time, "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin hai" actually made perfect sense.
Javed Akhtar remarked on a question about his definition of a 'remake,' saying, "A remake is meant to have both commonality and individuality. Farhan has managed to achieve this paradox in Don!"
Chandra Barot, director of the original Don (1978), had a clear-eyed take on the remake. While he praised Farhan Akhtar's version for its style and sophistication, he didn't hold back on what he saw as a major flaw: keeping the original Don alive at the end. But his sharpest critique, in an interview with Open magazine, was aimed at the writing: "There was another thing I personally felt missing in Farhan's Don. Javed gave me brilliant one-liners in Don. If you are writing for your own son, give at least five new one-liners which people can remember. Can you remember even one new line in the remake? Come out with something new, some real punchlines, where people would have forgotten the old Don." It's a fair point. After all, what's Don without the lines people quote for decades?
Don's Remake Trail Before SRK
SRK-Farhan's Don wasn't the first remake of Don. The huge success of director Chandra Barot and Amitabh Bachchan's Don had sparked a wave of remakes across languages with big stars. Yugandhar (1979) with NTR in Telugu, Shobaraj (1986) with Mohanlal in Malayalam, and even a Pakistani version titled Cobra. There were some unofficial remakes too, like Jeetendra's Dav Pench. But the most fascinating remake was Billa (1980) in Tamil. A young Rajinikanth, instead of mimicking Bachchan, infused the role with his own with trademark style and swagger. Billa became his first major blockbuster and the beginning of the legend called Rajini.
SRK's contemporary version became a statement: carry forward the legacy, but do it your way. Isn't it interesting that now, as Ranveer Singh steps in to play Don 3, he is compared to SRK's version of Don. Social media buzzes with the same scepticism SRK once faced stepping out of Amitabh Bachchan's shadow.
One thing's clear: that double role dripping with swagger and danger is still irresistible. Whether Ranveer reinvents the legend or just borrows the style remains to be seen.