Birth Date: 13 Jul, 1939, Age (69)

Occupation : Director, Producer, Lyricist

Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Date of Death : 17 May, 2009

Prakash Mehra

Prakash Mehra was a film director and producer known for his blockbuster Hindi films. He was one of the pioneers of masala films, along with Nasir Hussain, Salim-Javed, and Manmohan Desai. His collaborations with screenwriter duo Salim-Javed and the actor Amitabh Bachchan resulted in several box office blockbusters and classics, due to which Mehra was considered among the 'Golden Directors' of his time.

Mehra started in the late 1950s as a production controller. In 1968, he directed Shashi Kapoor who played a double role in Haseena Maan Jayegi... In 1973, he produced and directed Zanjeer. This hit with Amitabh Bachchan started a relationship that spanned 7 more films, 6 being huge blockbusters (Khoon Pasina, Hera Pheri (1976 film), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Lawaaris (1981 film), Namak Halaal, ; Sharaabi) and Jaadugar. Zanjeer launched the career of Bachchan as a lead actor, spanning 2 decades of collaboration. Their eighth film together Jaadugar featuring Aditya Pancholi failed at the box office and was towards the end of the 1st phase of Bachchan's legendary career.

Prakash Mehra was one of the first Bombay directors to try venture into Hollywood. In the late eighties, he tried a joint venture to make the movie The God Connection with Frank Yandolino. The movie was to include Hollywood actors such as Charles Bronson among others, but the project though funded heavily initially, never came to fruition.

Mehra died on 17 May 2009 in Mumbai of pneumonia and multiple organ failure. He had three sons - Sumeet, Amit & Puneet. His son Amit Mehra died of a cardiac arrest on 1st March 2015.

Prakash Mehra spent most his childhood in Gandhi Gali, Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk at his Aunt's House.