A very sad news has come out from the Indian cinema world. Veteran film producer, distributor and former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Pahlaj Nihalani passed away in Mumbai on Thursday. He was 76 years old. According to media reports, Nihalani was ill for some time and was undergoing treatment at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he breathed his last. The news of his demise has sent a wave of mourning across Bollywood and cinema world.Nihalani was a well-known name in the commercial film world of Hindi cinema. In a career spanning over four decades, he has been associated with many mainstream films, including ‘Hathkadi’, ‘Ilzaam’, ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’, ‘Aankhen’, ‘Dil Tera Deewana’, ‘Talaash’, ‘Julie 2’ and ‘Rangeela Raja’.
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Govinda made his debut with his 1986 film ‘Ilzaam’, while Chunky Pandey got recognition with ‘Aag Hi Aag’. Nihalani was also associated with films starring actors like Shatrughan Sinha, Dharmendra, Govinda, Chunky Pandey and Divya Bharti.In January 2015, Nihalani was appointed Chairman of CBFC. He held this post till August 2017, after which Prasoon Joshi replaced him.
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His tenure in the certification body was full of controversies. During his tenure, many films like ‘Udta Punjab’, ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ and ‘Indu Sarkar’ faced certification delays, suggestions for cuts or public debate.
Nihalani often defended CBFC’s decisions by citing certification rules and concerns over content, culture and public exposure. However, his tenure also faced strong criticism from filmmakers and industry insiders who argued that the board was moving away from certification towards censorship.
Before his tenure at the CBFC, Nihalani was also the President of the ‘Association of Motion Pictures and TV Program Producers’ for many years.Even after leaving the CBFC, Nihalani remained outspoken on issues related to the film industry and often talked about his work with actors and filmmakers of the 1980s and 1990s.