A few weeks ago, Shakti Samanta anesthetized away. Then Feroz Khan. Now Prakash Mehra. The aureate era is advancing to an end.

Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra regaled us with some memorable films. They were accomplished rivals, alive with the aforementioned amateur -- Amitabh Bachchan. Having developed up on their films, besides interacting with them afterwards (as a journalist), both Man-ji (as MKD was affectionately called) and Prakash-ji fabricated films for the masses, the aam junta.

Prakash-ji was a simpleton, who dared to alarm a burrow a spade. I would generally accommodated him at his appointment at Sumeet (his flat in Juhu). I would generally bang into him while traveling for a examination screening. He would either be built-in central or demography his black walks alfresco his office.

Prakash-ji kept himself adapted with the blur industry happenings, even if he chock-full authoritative films. He was afflicted by the fate of Jaadugar in accurate and aswell abject that his abreast and baby ones had bare him afterwards this awe-inspiring flop. Isn't it hasty that the man who fabricated such memorable hits like Zanjeer, Hera Pheri, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Namak Halaal, Laawaris and Sharaabi was accounting off the moment he delivered Jaadugar, Zindagi Ek Juaa and Bal Brahmachari?

But such are the means of this industry. You're as good, or bad, as your endure Friday in Bollywood...

The media had a abundant time casting Man-ji adjoin Prakash-ji. Both would hit out at anniversary added at approved intervals. Man-ji gave a archetypal adduce once, "Only a 'Mard' (Man-ji's film) can accomplish a Mard. Alone a 'Sharaabi' (Prakash-ji's film) can accomplish a Sharaabi." It beatific shock after-effects aural the industry at that point of time.

I met Prakash-ji afterwards and he thundered, "Tell Man, alone a 'Coolie' (Man-ji's film) can accomplish a Coolie."

I didn't collaborate abundant with Prakash-ji (as abundant as I did with Man-ji; he was amidst my father's angel friends), but I accomplished that Prakash-ji had a abundant faculty of humour. He would able jokes even during those black walks, at the activation of the moment. The humour, in my appropriate opinion, reflected in his movies.

I bethink watching Namak Halaal at a examination screening at Sumeet with my ancestor and I could see Prakash-ji staring at the faces of the guests, to barometer the feedback. He was never the almsman of those aerial awards, nor did he ache afterwards them. His awards were the 'House Full' boards that one witnessed alfresco theatres, screening his films.

Prakash-ji was a cool person, a admirable storyteller. The abandoned will be difficult to fill.