Mumbai: The last rites of the late filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani were held at the Santa Cruz crematorium in Mumbai Thursday, and the film industry turned up in huge numbers to pay their final respects to the departed soul.
Actors Govinda, Farhan Akhtar, Shatrughan Sinha, Varun Dhawan, Govind Namdev, Kunal Kapoor, producers Ramesh Taurani, Boney Kapoor, and actress Neelam Kothari attended the last rites.
Filmmakers Anees Bazmee, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sunil Darshan, David Dhawan, his son, Rohit Dhawan, actress Malaika Arora, and actor Saif Ali Khan also bid adieu to Pahlaj Nihalani. The filmmaker passed away at the age of 76 following prolonged illness.
Pahlaj Nihalani, who is often dubbed as the most controversial chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has been a familiar name in the Hindi film industry for decades. He began his journey as a film producer in the early 1980s after he branched out from the hotel industry. He was also a member of the Hotel Owners Association. His maiden production, Haathkadi was released in 1982, followed by Aandhi-Toofan in 1985. He produced Ilzaam which marked the foray of Govinda. A year later, he produced Aag Hi Aag, which introduced Chunky Pandey to Hindi cinema.
His tenure as the CBFC chief generated widespread discussion over censorship, certification policies and creative freedom in Indian films particularly for Udta Punjab. During this period, several certification decisions drew attention from filmmakers and audiences alike. Beyond his work in production and regulation, he has been an influential figure in the Hindi film industry, contributing to both its commercial and institutional landscape.
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