Veteran film producer and former chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Pahlaj Nihalani, has died at the age of 76, his friend Shashi Ranjan said on Thursday.
Born on January 10, 1950, Nihalani began his career as a producer with the 1982 film Haathkadi.
He is widely credited with giving actor Govinda his first major break with the 1986 film Ilzaam. He also introduced actor Chunky Panday with Aag Hi Aag in 1987.
Over the years, his production credits included Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Dil Tera Diwana, Talaash and Rangeela Raja.
In January 2015, he was appointed chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification. His tenure, which lasted until August 2017, drew sustained controversy and frequent clashes with filmmakers over cuts, disclaimers, and certification decisions.
During this period, he introduced stricter guidelines barring certain expletives even in 'A'-rated films and pushed for tighter restrictions on content deemed offensive to religious sentiments or excessively violent.
While critics from the film industry accused him of overreach, he maintained that he was acting within the mandate of the regulator.
Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the current chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, expressed condolences in a post on X.
“Heartfelt condolences from the entire CBFC family on the demise of former CBFC Chairperson Shri Pahlaj Nihalani,” he wrote.
Nihalani is survived by his wife, Nita Nihalani, and three sons.