India, July 26 -- When Chandra Barot passed away recently at the age of 86, obituaries rightfully celebrated him as the man who gave Indian cinema the cult classic Don (1978), starring Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, and Pran, and based on a script by Salim-Javed. But among the many fascinating chapters of his life, one unfinished dream stood out-a forgotten film project that could have changed the course of Indian cinematic history: Big Daddy, India's first planned 3D feature film, starring Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, and Shammi Kapoor.
The year was 1983. The country was still new to the concept of three-dimensional cinema. Hollywood had just tasted success with Friday the 13th Part III (1982), a slasher film that became notable not just for ...