Pahlaj Nihalani, the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), is known for his strict diktats when it comes to film content. This is precisely the reason why he is either hated or feared by a section of the film fraternity.
But on 22 August, the CBFC chief took everyone by surprise when he wholeheartedly praised Tiger Shroff's upcoming film. Nihalani took to Twitter to praise the superhero saga. But that’s not all. He compared the film with the 1975 mythological hit, Jai Santoshi Maa.
Nihalani tweeted, “#FlyingJatt is an Indian Superhero graced by Wahe Guru ji. Will create a History at BO; may remind us of film JaiSantoshiMaa. @iTIGERSHROFF.” Soon enough, Nihalani was profusely thanked by the film’s director, Remo D’Souza and Ayesha Shroff, Tiger’s mother.
In an interview with a daily, Tiger has expressed his delight at Nihalani’s comment saying it is an honour for his film to be compared with Jai Santoshi Maa. The 1975 film, directed by Vijay Sharma, was a surprise hit in its time. It became one of the most successful films of 1975, and ranked alongside classics like Sholay and Deewar.
In another interview, Nihalani has clarified that he was praising the film as an individual producer, and not as the CBFC Chief.