Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 4 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar and actor Govvind Namdev paid tribute to veteran producer and former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 76.

While talking to the media, Ashish Selar called the demise of Nihalani a 'great loss' for the film industry. He recalled the contributions and milestones of the producer in Bollywood.

He said, 'For the youth of our generation, he was among the first choices of the few selected producers and directors. Prahlad ji has been such a favourite producer and director. Giving nine consecutive silver hits is a record he created himself, and by distributing nearly 100 to 150 Hindi films, we can say he established a milestone in the field of distribution as well.'

'Because of this, I believe his passing is a great loss to our entire industry. Personally, my relationship with him spanned more than 25 years. I have seen him in Film City and also in his capacity as the Chairman of the Censor Board,' he added.

The 'OMG' actor Govvind Namdev recalled Pahlaj Nihalani's contribution to his career. He described the late producer as a person who always helped people in need and had 'no showoff' behaviour despite the success.

While talking to ANI, Govvind said, 'I can never forget Pahlaj ji, especially because my first film, 'Shola aur Shabnam,' was given to me by him, and it was from there that my commercial career began. There are very few personalities like him in our industry who understand people's feelings, who understand their pain and suffering, and stay by their side through it. Not much show-off; the important thing is that there wasn't much pretension in his personality, which makes him stand out. That's why I will remember him fondly; I can never forget him, and I'm deeply saddened and grieved by his passing. Very much.'

Pahlaj Nihalani was cremated in Mumbai on Thursday, with several members of the film fraternity gathering to pay their final respects. Several prominent personalities from the Hindi film industry attended the cremation ceremony to bid farewell to the veteran producer. Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan arrived to pay his last respects.

Bollywood actor Govinda, Varun Dhawan, along with his father David Dhawan, producer Boney Kapoor and others arrived to pay tribute to the late film producer.

A well-known name in the Hindi film industry, Nihalani was associated with several successful commercial films over the years. He produced popular movies such as 'Ilzaam', 'Shola Aur Shabnam', 'Aankhen' and 'Andaz'.

Nihalani began his journey as a film producer in the early 1980s. His first production venture, 'Haathkadi', was released in 1982, followed by 'Aandhi-Toofan' in 1985.

Apart from his contributions as a producer, Nihalani also served as the chairperson of the CBFC and remained an influential figure in the Indian film industry for decades. (ANI)