Prakash Mehra, born on July 13, 1939, began his career as a production controller in the late ’50s. He first helmed ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’ (1968), which starred Shashi Kapoor in an appealing double role. With ‘Zanjeer’ (1973), he moved into production and direction. He had a long and rewarding association with Amitabh Bachchan and both ended up doing seven more films like ‘Hera Pheri’ (1976), ‘Khoon Pasina’ (1977), ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’ (1978), ‘Lawaaris’ (1981), ‘Namak Halaal’ (1982) and ‘Sharaabi’ (1984).
Unfortunately, their final joint project, ‘Jaadugar’ (1989), failed at the box office, due to which their successful track record came to an end. ‘Zanjeer’ is also credited with launching Bachchan’s career as a major actor, while ‘Jaadugar’ was released during a period of transition in Bachchan’s sparkling career.
Along with Manmohan Desai and Nasir Hussain, Prakash Mehra was a pioneer of masala films. Numerous striking mega-hits and classic films were made as a result of his collaborations with Amitabh Bachchan.
Prakash Mehra was also one of the early Bombay directors who pined to work in Hollywood. In the late ’80s, he started working on ‘The God Connection’ alongside Frank Yandolino. His ambitious plan was to feature renowned Hollywood actors such as Charles Bronson, among others. Despite a hefty budget, the project was never completed. His last directorial film was ‘Bal Bramhachari’ (1996) with which he also introduced late actor Raaj Kumar’s son Puru Raaj Kumar. The film unfortunately failed at the box office.
Today, on his fourteenth death anniversary, we celebrate Prakash Mehra’s essential contribution to the world of cinema, his pioneering attitude, and the enduring impact he made on the industry.
