Pahlaj Nihalani, whose decisions as the censor board chief repeatedly infuriated the film fraternity was on Friday supplanted by noted lyricist and ad guru Prasoon Joshi, drawing across the board praise from the industry.
A standout amongst the most disputable blue pencil board chairpersons who skirmished with film makers over trims, beeps and disclaimers he demanded, Nihalani told to the media “I had been preparing myself for my exit for months now.”
He claimed that since the time he became CBFC chief in 2015 “there have been elements working against me, some of them from within the CBFC. These elements — I’m not going to name them on-record is currently celebrating premature Diwali.”
“None at all. Believe me, I was brought in as the CBFC chairperson all a sudden. I happily took up the job that the government thought me fit for. Now when the government has asked me to step down, I do so without any regret,” He added while he ceased from remarking on Joshi being his successor. Later that night by a government statement Joshi was appointed Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification “In an honorary capacity from August 11, 2017, for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier”