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The Govt. Felt I Was An Embarrassment, Says Sacked Censor Board Chief Pahlaj Nihalani

But he says he's proud of the work he did as chief of CBFC
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On Friday evening, the I&B Ministry announced that it has sacked controversial CBFC chief, Pahlaj Nihalani, and has replaced him with ad-man and lyricist, Prasoon Joshi.

In an interview to NDTV, Nihalani has said that he 'accepts the government's decision' but is 'proud of the work I did.'

Said Nihalani, "I was appointed by the government. I had no clue why they wanted me to take the job in the first place. Don't even know who recommended me. But people who weren't even linked to the industry, who hadn't directed or produced films, complained against me. But if the government feels I am an embarrassment, then I accept their decision to throw me out. I am sure the industry is relieved now."

When asked if he believes he could have done things differently, Nihalani was defiant.

"If I am being sacked for following the rules of the CBFC, then it's sad. The govt. is listening to someone who wants to go against the rules. Someone who hasn't even produced or directed a film. It's very sad. (He's probably referring to Board member Ashok Pandit, who was vocal in his criticism of Nihalani)."

The former chairperson said that he respects the government's decision and then proceeded to praise himself for making the body 'corruption-free' and taking the process of certification online.

"When the industry is not happy, why should I remain in the position? Producers are hypocrites," he said bitterly.

Watch the full interview here:

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.