Pahlaj Nihalani, a celebrated Bollywood producer and ex-CBFC Chairman, died from liver issues after being treated in Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai. He died on June 4, 2026, aged 76. His death was a great loss to Bollywood because he was a key producer for mainstream Bollywood. Later, he became a very popular film certification figure.
His death was publicly acknowledged and confirmed by members of the film industry and his family. His family stated that his last rites would occur on the same day in the Santacruz Hindu Crematorium in Mumbai.
Born in Mumbai, January 10, 1950 to a Sindhi family, Nihalani was passionate about films since his childhood. He started his career in the Hindi film industry with a fair bit of knowledge about commercial films and that was quite advantageous for him.
His producer debut happened with the 1982 movie Haathkadi. Shatrughan Sinha, the lead actor, was a well-known Bollywood actor and this film was the start of his long and illustrious professional journey as a producer.
In the years to come, he became famous for producing films that were popular among the masses. He had produced the film Ilzaam in 1986 which was a debut film for Govinda in the lead role. His other notable film was Shola Aur Shabnam which was released in 1992. This was a film which was a debut for Divya Bharti.
His biggest success came with Aankhen (1993), with Govinda and Chunky Panday. Aankhen became one of the biggest hits of its time, and is still remembered as a good comedy.
Former CBFC Chairman Nihalani worked with all the top stars such as Shatrughan Sinha, Dharmendra, and Govinda. In all his films, you would find a blend of action, comedy, romance and family drama. After that, he produced Julie 2 (2017) and Rangeela Raja (2019).
Contribution Beyond Filmmaking
He did not just stop at producing films. He did much more. He was actively involved in various industries. For almost 29 years, he was the president of the Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers. He did a lot to strengthen the producers’ side and the industry as a whole.
Because of his long working association with the organisation, he earned much respect from a lot of members of the film fraternity.
Controversial Tenure as CBFC Chairman
In January 2015, he was appointed as the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. His term became one of the most controversial terms in the short history of the board.
Most of his decisions were controversial. He faced a lot of media criticism for his proposal to restrict the usage of certain words in films and for his recommendation for a mandatory cut for all films that came to the board. His controversial decisions on Unfreedom, Aligarh, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Udta Punjab and many other films sparked a nationwide debate on censorship and the freedom of expression.
The release of Udta Punjab captured the spotlight of his CBFC career, as the Bombay High Court permitted the release of the film with only one cut, while the CBFC made numerous recommendations.
An Influence on Indian Cinema
Nihalani enforced the CBFC guidelines, and his decisions were his defenses against criticism, which he withstood during his tenure. He was appointed the replacement CBFC chair by Prasoon Joshi in August 2017.
He remained in the industry, even after he was removed from the Board, as a producer of his own films. He created hits for decades. Bollywood lost a trendsetter. He is the father of an industry that attempted to resolve box office concerns and film censorship. His legacy is a lasting influence on Indian Cinema.