Emotional Govinda pays emotional tribute to Pahlaj Nihalani: 'He helped many artists like me rise above poverty'

VEteran take producer and former exchange room of take enfranchisement (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani passed away on Thursday at the age of 76. The producer was known for backing several popular Bollywood films and is remembered for introducing Govinda to the film industry with Ilzaam (1986).Govinda pays his last respectsSeveral Bollywood celebrities arrived at Pahlaj Nihalani's residence to pay their final respects. Among them was Govinda, who shared an emotional tribute while speaking to the media.He said, “Param aadarniya Pahlaj Nihalani, humaare neev ke pathar the. Mai aur mujh jaise kalakaar jo gareebi ki daur se upar aaye, usme aapka sahyog raha (The most respectable Pahlaj Nihalani was our foundation stone. You helped artists like me and many more rise above poverty).”He added, “Aur desh me kam se kam ek darzan aise kalakaar rahe honge, ke aadarniya Pahlaj Nihalani jo hai, unka sehyog aur saath me zameen se aasmaan pe pahuchaane ka jo ek chandrama ka kaarya hota hai wo upar wale ne diya (And there must have been at least a dozen such artists in the country to whom he supported).”The actor further said, “Mai bahut poore Sindhi samaaj ka aur Pahlaj ji ka pranaam karta hun. Prarthana karte hai ki aapki aatma ko shanti pradaan kare aur hum jaise kayi log jo aise artist jo aaj world me famous wo aise log aashirwaad se hue hai (I salute the entire Sindhi community and Pahlaj ji. We pray that your soul rests in peace and many people like us who have become artists and are famous in the world today have become so because of the blessings of such people).” After working together on Ilzaam, Pahlaj Nihalani and Govinda reunited for successful films such as Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen. Their collaboration played a significant role in shaping Govinda's early career.Pahlaj Nihalani's careerPahlaj Nihalani began his journey as a film producer in 1982 with Haathkadi. Over the years, he backed several Bollywood projects, including Andaz, Talaash, Rangeela Raja, and Julie 2. Apart from his work as a producer, he also served as the CBFC chairperson between 2015 and 2017.His tenure at the censor board frequently made headlines for his strict censorship policies and controversial decisions on film certifications. He was often at the centre of debates surrounding artistic freedom and censorship, particularly during the release of films such as Udta Punjab, Lipstick Under My Burkha, and several others.