Prakash Mehra wanted to become a music composer, stole money from Nana’s chest and reached Mumbai
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In Bollywood, Prakash Mehra made a special identity on the hearts of the audience through his manufactured superhit films but wanted to become a music composer at the beginning of his career. Prakash Mehra was born on 13 July 1939 in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. Since childhood, Prakash Mehra was fond of listening to songs on the radio.
Prakash Mehra also started writing songs at an early age. He decided that he would become a music composer. One day Prakash Mehra fled to Mumbai after stealing 13 rupees from Nana’s chest. He started working in a salon. For a few days, Prakash Mehra worked in the salon but his attention was focused on the songs. Meanwhile, Nana came to Mumbai to take him back home.
After much persuasion, Prakash Mehra went back home with his maternal grandfather. He stayed there for a few days but then he moved to Mumbai. Prakash Mehra worked as an actor in films like Ujala and Professor at the beginning of his career. The film Hasina Maan Jayegi, released in 1968, was the first film of Prakash Mehra as a director. Shashi Kapoor played a double role in this film.
The film Zanjeer Prakash Mehra, released in 1973, rescued a milestone for Amitabh’s career. It is said that at the behest of Dharmendra and Pran, Prakash Mehra gave Amitabh a chance to work in the chain and gave him one rupee. He had mortgaged his wife’s jewelry to make the film Zanjeer.
Prakash Mehra used to call Amitabh with love as ‘Lalla’. After the success of Zanjeer, the caravan of Amitabh and Prakash Mehra’s superhit films lasted far enough. During this time, many films like unclaimed, Mukaddar Ka Sikander, Namak Halal, Drunken, Heraferi won the success of the box office.
Prakash Mehra was also a lyricist besides a successful filmmaker and he composed superhit songs for many of his films. These songs have O Saathi Re Tere Bina Bhi Kya Jeena, people say I am an alcoholic, whom no one is God, he is God, Jawani Jaane Mana Haseen Dilruba, where four yar mile hai hai gulzar, there is night, there is a wait, I will have to wait, Dil to Dil to Dil to Dil Hai Dil to Dil to Kya Kije, Diljal Kya Diljal Kya Dilruba etc.
It is said that in the days of his struggle in Mumbai, Prakash Mehra was forced to sell the song ‘Tum Gagan Ki Moon Ho Main Dhara Dhul Hoon’ for only fifty rupees for living. Prakash Mehra directed 22 films in his cine career and produced 10 films. The film released in the year 2001 proved to be the last film of the cine career of Mehra Bibi Se Mary Bibi.
Prakash Mehra wanted to make a film called ‘Gali’ with Amitabh in the last Pala of his life. But his dream remained incomplete and through his film, Prakash Mehra, who made a lot of manage to the audience, said goodbye to this world on 17 May 2009.
