Govinda calls Pahlaj Nihalani the foundation to his artistic existence as he pays last respects to the latter

Mumbai, June 4 (IANS) Actor Govinda, who paid his last respects to the late filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani, expressed his grief at the demise of the filmmaker.

The actor spoke with the media stationed at the venue, and called him the foundation of his existence as a film artiste.

He told the media, “He was my foundation. I and other artistes, who were lifted from poverty by him, are deeply grateful to him. There must be at least a dozen or so artists in the country who were helped by him”.

He further mentioned, “He took us from the ground, and made us soar to greater heights. I bow to the Sindhi community and to Pahlaj Nihalani ji. I pray to God to bless his soul with peace. I, and artistes, who have become famous all over the world, it’s all because of him. I bow to him”.

The filmmaker passed away at the age of 76 following prolonged illness. His last rites were held at the Santa Cruz crematorium in Mumbai on Thursday.

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.

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.

–IANS

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