Bollywood said goodbye to one of its most cherished producers on June 4 when Pahlaj Nihalani passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 76. Nihalani had built a career spanning decades, producing films that became household names, including Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Andaz, Talaash, Rangeela Raja, and Julie 2. He is also fondly remembered for launching Govinda's career with Ilzaam in 1986. Beyond his work as a producer, he served as the CBFC chairperson between 2015 and 2017, a tenure that kept him in the public eye for its controversial censorship decisions around films like Udta Punjab and Lipstick Under My Burkha. His cremation was held at the Santacruz crematorium, where Govinda, Varun Dhawan, Malaika Arora, Boney Kapoor, and Shatrughan Sinha gathered to pay their last respects.
Govinda, Anupam Kher Mourn His Death
Govinda, who owes his very first break in Bollywood to Nihalani, was visibly emotional at the crematorium. He called Nihalani a foundation stone for him and for many artists who had come from difficult backgrounds. "He helped artists like me and many more rise above poverty," Govinda said, adding that at least a dozen actors who went on to become world-famous did so because Nihalani believed in them first. After Ilzaam, the two reunited for Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen, both of which were massive hits.
Actor Anupam Kher shared a deeply personal tribute on Instagram, including a video in which he recalled speaking to Nihalani just a week before his passing. After receiving a message from the producer, Kher had called him and learnt he was hospitalised. "When I heard his voice, he sounded weak and a little sad," Kher said. Nihalani had asked him to visit after he recovered. That meeting never took place. Kher wrote that Nihalani was cheerful, generous, and someone with genuine warmth for everyone around him, adding that very few people in the film industry are remembered more for who they were than what they made. "Pahlaj ji was one of them," he wrote.
Bazmee, Prem Chopra, Prosenjit, Shilpa Remember Nihalani
Filmmaker Anees Bazmee, who shared more than a three-decade-long friendship with Nihalani, said he turned his car around the moment he heard the news while scouting locations for his next film. He recalled long nights at Nihalani's home, sometimes stretching until 3 or 4 in the morning, with the two just talking about films. Bazmee had worked as a ghost writer on several of his productions before writing Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen together with him.
Veteran actor Prem Chopra, who featured in several Nihalani productions, called it an extreme personal loss. Prosenjit Chatterjee, who made his Hindi film debut with Nihalani's Aandhiyan, described him as a passionate producer who truly loved the craft. Actress Shilpa Shirodkar, who starred in Aankhen, recalled how Nihalani signed her for the role of Chandramukhi despite others advising against it. "He always said what he felt and did what his heart told him. It is rare to find a person like him," she said.