The 1978 film
Don (1978) was directed by Chandra Barot, working from a story by Salim–Javed — the writing partnership of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, then at the peak of their commercial and critical standing. The screenplay and dialogue are credited to them jointly. It was produced by Nariman Irani, though some sources give Natraj Films as the producing company; on this point records differ.
The cinematography is credited to Nariman Irani as well — a double credit that some sources flag as unusual, and the attribution is occasionally disputed in retrospect, with some accounts listing the camera work under a different name. Where sources disagree on this specific point, the safest reading is Irani as DOP alongside his producer role. The film was edited by M. S. Shinde.
The music was composed by Kalyanji–Anandji, the duo of brothers Kalyanji and Anandji Virji Shah, with lyrics written by Anjaan and Indeevar. Playback was provided by several singers, most prominently Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle. Amitabh Bachchan headed the cast in the title role, with Zeenat Aman, Pran, Om Shivpuri and Iftekhar in key supporting parts.
The 2006 remake
The remake was directed by Farhan Akhtar and produced under his banner Excel Entertainment, co-founded with Ritesh Sidhwani. Farhan Akhtar also shares a writing credit: the screenplay is attributed to him and Javed Akhtar (his father, credited separately from the original Salim–Javed work). The screenplay situates the same premise in a markedly different register — leaner, more overtly styled — and the dialogue was reworked accordingly.
The cinematography for the 2006 film was handled by Jason West. The editing is credited to Anand Subramanian. These credits are consistent across the main released materials and secondary sources.
Music composition was shared between Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy — the trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa — with the same trio also handling the recreated title number. Lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar. Playback singers included Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan, among others. Shah Rukh Khan headed the cast, with Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Boman Irani and Arjun Rampal in supporting roles.
The 2011 continuation
Don 2 (2011) — a sequel to the remake rather than to the 1978 original — retained Farhan Akhtar as director and Excel Entertainment as producer. The screenplay is credited to Farhan Akhtar, with Ritesh Sidhwani again as co-producer.
The cinematography shifted to V. Manikandan, replacing Jason West from the previous film. Editing was again handled by Anand Subramanian, maintaining continuity in the post-production team. The production was shot substantially on location in Europe, which is reflected in the visual texture and the scope of the action staging.
Music for the 2011 film was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, consistent with the remake, with lyrics again by Javed Akhtar. The principal cast — Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani — carried over, with Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor among the new additions.
A note on sourcing: Indian film credits of the 1970s are not always consistently recorded across reference databases, theatrical prints and secondary criticism. Where this guide finds genuine disagreement — as with the cinematography credit on the 1978 film — it says so rather than arbitrate between sources. The remake and continuation credits are more uniformly documented and can be taken as reliable.