India, June 5 -- Veteran filmmaker-producer Pahlaj Nihalani passed away on June 4 following a prolonged illness. He was 75. As tributes continue to pour in from across the film industry, filmmaker Anees Bazmee has remembered his longtime friend and collaborator with whom he shared a bond spanning over three decades.

Speaking to HT City, an emotional Bazmee says how Nihalani was much more than a producer to him. "Humari 33 saal ki dosti thi. Yeh rishta sirf producer aur writer ka nahi tha, hum bilkul family ki tarah the," he shares.

Fondly remembering Nihalani's passion for filmmaking and the countless hours they spent discussing cinema while working together on films such as Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen, Anees shares, "Woh films ko lek...