Veteran producer and former CBFC president Pahlaj Nihalani passed away on June 4 at the age of 76 after a long illness. Actors Govinda and Chunky Panday, whose careers he helped launch, paid an emotional tribute to him, with Govinda calling him a father figure and a cornerstone of the industry.
Indian cinema has lost a legendary figure, as veteran producer and former CBFC president Pahlaj Nihalani passed away on June 4, at the age of 76, after a long illness. Over the course of a career spanning over four decades, he left an indelible mark on Bollywood with his blockbuster productions like Ilazam (1986), Shola Aur Shabnam (1992) and Aankhen (1993).
He also played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of Govinda and Chunky Panday, who paid heartfelt tributes to the man who gave them some of their most memorable opportunities.
Chunky Panday remembers how Pahlaj Nihalani started his career
Speaking to Variety India, Chunky said, “I met him for the first time in the toilet of a Holiday Inn in Juhu. I introduced myself and told him that I was trying to get into films. And so, that night, my career started because he said, ‘Meet me tomorrow.’
I’ll shoot you in a movie. I owe my career to Pahlaj and Govinda because Govinda was busy at that time. He made Ankhin, he made Daoud, Govinda, Anis (Bazmee) and me.
He made Pahlaj the first product. He decided he wanted to produce and release the film within six months.He also added, “Everything else in the film kept changing, but the four of us — Govinda, me, David and Aniket — remained constant.
He just wanted to release the film on a specific day, and he did it. I would call him a maker because he participated and paid attention to every little detail. He started his career as a distributor and then moved into production. So, it kind of covered the whole spectrum. I learned a lot from him.
We would talk at least once a month. The last time I saw him was a week ago in the hospital. I sat next to him and we were joking and laughing.
I said to him: Look, my children are also in the cinema today. And you’re the one who started it all.
Govinda calls Pahlaj Nihalani his cornerstone
Meanwhile, Govinda shared, “We have worked together a lot, right from ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’ to ‘Rangeela Raja’. He was a father figure and would act like that. I am not able to process the news of his death. My brother, Kirti, rightly says he is like our cornerstone. We started our career with him. He made a huge contribution to the film industry. No one before or after him will have this kind of impact Nickelty thi.
“It is a huge loss not only for me, but for the entire industry.”
