Veteran producer and former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani passed away at the age of 76 due to liver cirrhosis. The filmmaker, known for backing several commercial entertainers over the years, leaves behind a long association with Hindi cinema. His last rites are scheduled to take place in Mumbai today at 3 pm.
Pahlaj Nihalani Recalled Suniel Shetty's Unreleased Project
During an earlier interview with Bollywood Thikana, Pahlaj spoke about 'Arzoo', a project originally planned as Suniel Shetty's launch film in Bollywood. The film had reportedly progressed considerably and featured several established names in important roles. However, concerns emerged during production.
Producer Revealed Creative Concerns
Pahlaj recalled that he gradually became unhappy with the way the film was shaping up. According to him, the final output was moving away from the original vision. He shared, “I was not enjoying the scenes the way they were written. The director also got involved with a heroine and his focus was on that. In the whole film, there were just locations and the actors were nowhere to be seen.” He also mentioned that the film had a cast including Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar, Danny, Madhavi and Kiran Kumar.
Production Team Raised Objections
Speaking further, Pahlaj said members of the production unit had also expressed concerns about the way the project was progressing. He explained that significant work had already been completed by that stage. He added, “The costumes for one schedule were already made and the wardrobes were complete. The unit complained that the film was not being made in the right way and they told me to take a break and then decide what to do. We had hot 12 reels and when I saw it, I thought this is not a good film for my banner. It was not shot properly. So, I thought this has to be shelved.”
Another Film Also Failed to Move Ahead
Pahlaj later attempted to introduce Suniel through another project. However, that film also did not eventually move forward. Suniel had previously spoken, as per a Bollywood Bubble report, about that difficult period and shared how the experience affected him personally. He had said, “Early in my career I was ditched by Pahlaj Nihalani. It completely destroyed me when he scrapped a film starring me after nine reels. And then he decided to shelve the second one. Beggars cannot be choosers. I just wanted films. Whoever came to me, I signed on.”
Despite those setbacks, Suniel Shetty later entered Bollywood with Balwaan in 1992, and the film emerged as a successful launch for the actor.
