Bollywood producer Fakir Chand Mehra, 84
Posted: Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 10:31 pmAugust 29, 1923 - July 29, 2008
The Indian film producer Fakir Chand Mehra became one of the giants of Bollywood after 1953 when he established Eagle Films, today one of the largest film production houses in India.
The company has released at least one big film a year and has had some of the biggest box-office hits in India. It also owns two of the most famous cinemas in the country, the Plaza in Delhi and the Minerva in Bombay — the latter of which is one of the oldest cinemas in India and, with more than 1,300 seats, among the biggest.
Mehra produced some of the most memorable films in India, including The Professor, Ujala (The Awakening) and Amrapali and, in 1976, he negotiated a joint Indo-Soviet co-production of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, which cast some of the biggest stars of Indian and Soviet cinema. It was directed by his son, Umesh, and was a hit in both countries. … Read full obituary
