As the film industry mourns the loss of veteran producer and former CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, several old interviews featuring the outspoken filmmaker are resurfacing online. Among them is a startling account of a health crisis that left him fighting for his life and confined to a hospital bed for nearly a month. The producer, best known for backing films such as ‘Ilzaam’, ‘Aankhen’, ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’, and ‘Aag Hi Aag’, had once spoken in detail about the frightening incident and how close he came to not making it through.What began as a routine gathering at home quickly turned into a nightmare. Nihalani had recalled that some members of a film unit he was associated with had dropped by unexpectedly one evening. Since there wasn’t enough food prepared at home, the group decided to order dinner from a restaurant.Usually someone who preferred home-cooked meals, Nihalani reluctantly joined the others. “Chicken is the only non-vegetarian item I eat, so they urged me to join them. Out of politeness I agreed. The minute I bit into the chicken I knew something was wrong. But the others assured me it was okay,” he had shared with Bollywood Hungama. At the time, he brushed aside his doubts and continued with the meal.A few hours later, the veteran producer began feeling uneasy. He initially believed it was a minor stomach issue and tried to rest after vomiting once. The situation, however, escalated dramatically in the middle of the night. “At around 3 am I vomited a whole lot of blood. That’s when I panicked and called my son. Luckily he stays in the same building,” Nihalani had recalled. His family immediately arranged medical assistance and rushed him to the hospital.Doctors admitted him to Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital, where he remained for 28 days. The experience was particularly difficult because it took place during the pandemic, when hospital visits were heavily restricted. “I was at Nanavati hospital for the next 28 days. No one was allowed to visit me because of the pandemic. I spoke to my wife on video calls,” he had shared. For someone who had rarely faced major health issues, the lengthy hospital stay was both physically and emotionally draining.
Gratitude for family and doctors
Looking back at the ordeal, Nihalani repeatedly credited his family and medical team for helping him survive. He reserved special praise for Dr Jayant Barve and the doctors who handled his treatment from the moment he arrived at the hospital. “Within hours all my tests were done. I was lucky. Anyone with a less caring family and less attentive medical team would have died. I’ve been pulled out of the jaws of death,” he had said. The producer admitted there were moments when nobody knew how the situation would unfold.Because the incident occurred during a period when COVID-19 dominated headlines, there was speculation about the cause of his illness. Nihalani had categorically denied those rumours and explained that he had already recovered from COVID-19 months earlier. “No, it wasn’t that. I got Covid in April 2020. I recovered at home. This was much more serious. I was hospitalized for the first time in my life. No one knew if I’d come out alive. I survived because God and my family were with me,” he had said.
A lesson that Pahlaj Nihalani never forgot
The experience left a lasting impact on the producer. Convinced that the food served that evening had triggered the crisis, he considered taking legal action against the establishment involved. More importantly, he used the incident as a cautionary tale for others. “It could have been the last meal of my life. Everyone who ate that night was ill. But I was hit the hardest. I urge everyone to have only home-cooked meals in these hard times,” he had warned.Today, as colleagues, friends, and fans remember Pahlaj Nihalani’s contributions to Indian cinema, this remarkable story stands out as a testament to his resilience. Long before his passing, the producer had already survived one of the toughest battles of his life, emerging from it with renewed gratitude for family, health, and second chances.
