The Indian film industry woke up to the sad news of veteran producer and former Central Board of Film Certification chairman Pahlaj Nihalani passing away. In an illustrious career spanning over decades, Pahlaj Nihalani had backed several hits including Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Aag Hi Aag, Paap Ki Duniya, among others. His passing has left a huge void in the film industry, and mourning his loss, film celebrities spoke to us about the impact the late producer has left.
Veteran actor Prem Chopra, who worked with Pahlaj on multiple films including Haathkadi, Izaam and Aag Ka Gola, feels shocked about the loss. He tells us, “I have worked with Pahlaj in many films. He was the most wonderful producer and would be totally obsessed when he would make a film. He introduced so many new faces in the film industry and did so much for its benefit. He was very close to me, unfortunately I am not well and I wasn’t able to meet him much lately but it’s an extreme personal loss for me,” he shares.
Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee marked his entry in Hindi films with Pahlaj’s Aandhiyan, and he remembers him as a hard working man. He says, “I was shooting a Bengali film in Mumbai which was also produced by Pahlaj ji and that’s how I met him. During the shoot, he told me that he had a subject and David Dhawan was directing the film. So, then we started with Aandhiyan. He was a great guy who had given breaks to a lot of top actors of our time in Mumbai, who went on to become stars. He was a very passionate producer and he used to love cinema. It’s really sad news of his passing and a very sad day today.”
Actor Shilpa Shirodkar starred in Pahlaj’s 1993 blockbuster Aankhen and she feels grateful for the trust he showed in her. “Pahlaj ji was always around on the set laughing and making everyone comfortable. He would be the first person on set and make sure that everything was set up, especially food. He signed me for Aankhen despite many people telling him that I wasn’t the right choice for the part of Chandramukhi, but he believed in his gut feeling and I got the role. He used to always call me Shilpu with love. He always said what he felt and did what his heart told him. It’s rare to find a person like him,” she insists.