Former CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani dies at 76

Veteran film producer and former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani passed away on Thursday, June 4, at the age of 76. His death was confirmed by his family and associates.

Nihalani died in Mumbai following a prolonged illness. According to sources close to his family, he had been battling liver-related health complications for over a month and was recently hospitalized before being brought home. His family announced that his last rites would be held at the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium in Mumbai at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

A prominent figure in the Hindi film industry since the early 1980s, Nihalani began his career as a producer with the 1982 film "Haathkadi." He went on to produce a string of successful commercial films, most notably during the 1990s. His filmography includes popular titles such as "Ilzaam," "Shola Aur Shabnam," "Aankhen," "Andaz," "Talaash," and "Julie 2." He was widely credited for giving actor Govinda a major career break and maintained a long professional association with him and filmmaker David Dhawan.

Beyond his work in production, Nihalani served as the chairperson of the CBFC from January 2015 to August 2017. His tenure was...