Overview
- Pahlaj Nihalani died in Mumbai on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and his funeral that day was followed by a family prayer meet in Juhu on June 6 attended by many Bollywood figures.
- He built a long career as a commercial producer, launching films such as Ilzaam that helped start Govinda’s career and later producing titles including Rangeela Raja.
- Nihalani led the Central Board of Film Certification from January 2015 to August 2017, a tenure marked publicly by stricter certification rules and high-profile disputes before he was succeeded by Prasoon Joshi.
- Recent tribute pieces, largely sourcing a single industry voice, recount episodes in which he reportedly expedited a censor certificate for Jagga Jasoos (2017) and pushed administrative changes such as higher screening honoraria and curbing producers’ meal charges for committee members.
- He is survived by his wife Nita and sons Vishal and Chirag Nihalani, and press coverage so far has focused on memorials and personal recollections rather than new official statements about his CBFC tenure.