/> "First Feroz Khan with whom Kalyanjibhai and I were closely associated, and now Prakash Mehra too is gone both within a month. I met him last eight days ago in hospital. He had tubes in him and was watching a film. He couldn't talk. But he signaled to me saying he'd be out in a few days.

Prakashji had become very lonely after his wife died. His favourite son Sumit had gone away to the US, then his wife ....Prakashji had a very good sense of story. We shared a great tuning.If you notice many of his heroes in Laawaaris, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar etc were orphans.

Prakashji himself was estranged from his parents from a very young age...his father had become a sadhu.He had a brother but wasn't close to him.....Since he had no immediate family his films often showed that craving for a family....

We never spoke to him much about his family because each time we did he would cry. We with whom he worked were Prakashji's family."

After a pause Anandji continues, "Prakash Mehra and us, my brother Kalyanji and I, worked closely together. Even before we did the music for his first directorial venture Haseena Maan Jayegi, we worked with him when he was assistant to filmmaker Mohan Segal. Tab se hum saath mein rahe. Ek tuning ban gayi thi.. We had a good rapport.

Prakash Mehra also wrote some songs for us in Purnima. And when he turned producer with Zanjeer, we did the music. After that we did Haath Ki Safaai, Khoon Paseena, Hera Pheri, Lawaaris and of course the musical hit Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.....

See the thing about Prakashji was, he was a sentimental family-oriented person. He was thoda kadak and rough in his speech and manner. But his heart was pure gold. For him, the films that he directed were not his creative property. He made everyone who worked in a film a part of the creative process.

Kalyanjibhai and I were given a voice in every department of Prakash Mehra's films from the story, casting to the look and marketing.... He would create an item song in every film. Even in Haseena Maan Jayegi he did a song with Shashi Kapoor in drag. He had tremendous faith in our judgement which we never misused.

We never did wah-wah to his work if we didn't like it. We told him what we didn't like, and that's the way he liked it. We had a similar rapport with Sultan Ahmed and Feroz Khan....We worked as a family. Those days are gone.

Prakash Mehra always wanted the world to show the true merits of Indian cinema. He was very happy when Kalyanjibhai, Amitji and I went on the first world tour. His Mere angnein mein from Lawaaris was a big crowdpuller at the first world tour. Things have changed so much now. Prakashji was unable to make a film in current circumstances.

Yes, we created many chartbusters in Prakash Mehra's films...Bekhudi mein sanam in Haseena Maan Jayegi, Wada kare sajna in Haath Ki Safai, Yaari hai imaan mera in Zanjeer, Mere angnein mein in Lawaaris, Salaam-e-ishq meri jaan in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...but the song by which I'd like to reminder my brother's and my association with Prakash Mehra is O saathi re tere bina bhi kya jeena. It says it all.

It was the song that sums up Prakash Mehra's philosophy of life. What is life without love? Sadly all the filmmakers with whom we shared a fine tuning are fading away."