Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (born 7 July 1963 in Delhi, India) is an acclaimed Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and occasional actor known for his deeply emotional and socially resonant storytelling. Raised in Delhi, he studied at Air Force Bal Bharati School and later graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi . In his youth, Rakeysh was an avid swimmer and almost made it to the 1982 Asian Games team but missed final selection .

He began his professional journey as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman for Eureka Forbes, but soon his passion led him toward filmmaking . In 1986, he founded Flicks Motion Picture Company Private Limited and made a name for himself creating high-profile commercials for brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Toyota, American Express, and BPL .

Mehra made his feature-film directorial debut with Aks (2001), a supernatural action thriller starring Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, Raveena Tandon, and Nandita Das. Though critically appreciated, the film didn’t fare well commercially.

His breakthrough came with Rang De Basanti (2006), a potent, ensemble-led drama featuring Aamir Khan and others, exploring the awakening of youth to fight corruption. The film was a massive critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. It earned Mehra multiple awards including Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director, the National Film Award for Best Popular Film, and even a BAFTA nomination. It was also India’s official entry to the Oscars .

He followed it up with Delhi-6 (2009), a socially conscious drama examining communal and cultural tensions in India, which won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration .

In 2011, Mehra co-directed the documentary Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told alongside Jeffery Zimbalist. It screened at Cannes as part of celebrations marking 100 years of Indian cinema.

His next big project was Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), a biopic based on the life of India’s legendary athlete Milkha Singh (“The Flying Sikh”), starring Farhan Akhtar. The film was both critically and commercially resounding, earning Mehra his second set of Filmfare Awards for Best Director and National Film Awards .

In 2016, Mehra directed Mirzya, a visually evocative romantic fantasy based on the Punjabi folktale of Mirza–Sahiban, with newcomers Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher in lead roles. Despite its artistry, the film was a box-office failure .

He continued exploring socially relevant themes with Mere Pyare Prime Minister (2018), a children’s drama focusing on sanitation challenges in slums. It was screened at the Rome Film Festival, adding international recognition.

Most recently, in Toofaan (2021), Mehra returned to sports drama, telling the story of a boxer’s journey of redemption, starring Farhan Akhtar. The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

In July 2021, he announced his autobiography The Stranger in the Mirror, co-written with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, featuring contributions and foreword/afterword by personalities such as A. R. Rahman and Sonam Kapoor .

Throughout his career, Mehra has maintained a passionate, heartfelt approach to filmmaking, taking his time to develop stories and casting decisions thoughtfully. He often follows his instincts—choosing newcomers or niche subjects over commercial safe bets—regardless of external pressures