Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, born on July 7, 1963, is an Indian film director, occasional actor, and screenwriter. He gained recognition for his work as the writer and director of films such as "Rang De Basanti" (2006) and "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" (2013). Additionally, he directed the films "Aks" (2001) and "Delhi-6" (2009).

Mehra was born in Delhi, India. His father worked at the Claridges hotel in New Delhi. In his early years, Mehra aspired to become a swimmer and participated in the selection camp for the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi. However, he was not selected in the final round. He attended Air Force Bal Bharati School in Delhi.

In 1992, Mehra married film editor P. S. Bharathi. The couple has a daughter named Bhairavi and a son named Vedant.

Mehra has been outspoken about various social and cultural issues. He criticized the vote-bank politics associated with the introduction of the Mandal Commission by VP Singh, which inspired him to write the script of "Rang De Basanti."

He has also expressed criticism of India's education system, particularly its emphasis on marks or grades rather than actual achievement. He referred to a potential project called "96.7," which later evolved into a concept called "100%," addressing the education system's shortcomings. Mehra believes the system should focus on nurturing talent and creativity rather than solely relying on academic scores. He cited examples of renowned figures like Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rabindranath Tagore, suggesting that their genius might not have been recognized if they were judged solely based on their marksheets.

Mehra's views reflect his concern for the existing education system and his desire to explore this topic further in his work. However, it is worth noting that this information is based on a statement made by Mehra and represents his personal opinions at the time