Filmmaker and former chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, Pahlaj Nihalani has opened up on his controversial tenure at the helm of the censor board.

In an interview with TV-radio host Siddharth Kannan, the 74-year-old, whose tenure with the board was riddled with issues, made the shocking claim that actor Sharmila Tagore, who had earlier been the chief, passed Omkara (2006) because it starred her son, actor Saif Ali Khan.

“During Sharmila Tagore’s tenure, Omkara was passed because her son Saif Ali Khan was in it. People in the board accepted bribes to pass certain films without cuts. They went against the guidelines, I just made sure the rules were followed,” said Nihalani, who was the CBFC chief from 2015 to 2017.

He also alleged that it was actor Shah Rukh Khan who agreed to removing the word ‘intercourse’ from the trailer of his 2017 film Jab Harry Met Sejal. “I spoke to Shah Rukh about this, he said, ‘Cut it’. There was only one cut. I told him to send another version or accept the cut, and he said, ‘Okay, cut it’. The media targeted me because I was controversial,” Nihalani said.

On the long-drawn controversy around the 2016 film Udta Punjab (over profanities and depiction of drug use), Nihalani added, “I never allowed myself to be pressured by the government. I passed films on merit alone. They didn’t want the title ‘Udta Punjab’ to be passed, and I threatened to resign. I don’t have any regrets. I’ve done my work with honesty.”