Shatrughan Sinha, Rakesh Roshan and Suneel Darshan Share Memories of Pahlaj Nihalani (EXCLUSIVE)

Pahlaj Nihalani, who passed away on June 4 at the age of 76, was a prominent figure in the Hindi film industry. As a producer, he delivered several commercial hits, including "Ilzaam," "Shola Aur Shabnam," "Aankhen" and "Andaz" and played an important role in launching the careers of marquee stars such as Govinda and Chunky Pandey. He also served as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2015 to 2017.

Shatrughan Sinha, one of Nihalani’s close friends, is inconsolable. He says, “First, Dharmendra, now Pahlaj. I have lost two dear friends within months. Pahlaj was very dear to me. Our friendship goes back more than 40 years. He saw me through my toughest times. He was by my side through thick and thin. Never judgmental, he stood by my decisions in life — good, bad or ugly — without questioning me. Woh kehte hain na, yaaron ka yaar, that was Pahlaj. During any crisis or problem, my wife Punam and I would turn to him. What will I do without him?”

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The actor continues, “Our association began with ‘Haathkadi’ in 1982. Pahlaj wanted me to be in all his productions and I wanted to be in all of them. I never asked about my role. I trusted him blindly. In this cutthroat industry, Pahlaj was one person anyone could turn to for help. Like Karan Johar’s father, Yash Johar, Pahlaj Nihalani helped even those whom he didn’t know personally.”

Remembering him, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan says, “Pahlaj was a very good friend and I worked with him in two films as an actor and then I made my first film as a producer-director ['Khudgarz']. We would speak on the phone quite often. Lately, he was quite unwell. Pahlaj and Shatru (Shatrughan Sinha) were very close. When I was making ‘Khudgarz,’ he told me, ‘Your script is very good. Rakeshji, you’ve done a wonderful job. Distribute karte hain.’ He was very likable and was with me throughout the making of the film. What set him apart from the producers of those days was that he was very honest and sincere. He was very passionate and knew what goes into making a film.”

Filmmaker Suneel Darshan notes, “Not only was he a filmmaker, but he was also a very responsible leader of the industry, especially for the producers. He moderated relationships between the various other departments of filmmaking, including actors and technicians. Pahlaj was also the chief of the censor board. He had a great stint, and he was absolutely the best person to have in that seat because he knew the plights and traumas that film producers experience. I had the opportunity to collaborate with him when he distributed the movies 'Ek Rishtaa' and 'Haan... Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya' in Delhi and UP circuit. Then I directed the film 'Talaash: The Hunt Begins', which featured Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rakhee, and several other actors. It was great associating with the gentleman, and I have wonderful memories of it. Everyone has to leave someday, but he left a bit early.”