Art Director Nitin Desai died by suicide at the age of 57. He was known for creating the magnificent sets of many Sanjay Leela Bhansali films, including Bajirao Mastani.
Art director and producer, Nitin Chandrakant Desai has died by suicide at the age of 57. According to reports, Nitin was found dead at his studio in Karjat, Maharashtra. More details are awaited.
A renowned art director, he worked on a number of Hindi and Marathi films. He worked extensively with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, creating the magnificent sets for many of his films including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Bajirao Mastani. He also worked with filmmakers like Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ashutosh Gowariker. The last film that he served as the art director was the 2019 war epic drama Panipat, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
Mumbai-based Desai studied photography at JJ School of Arts and started as the fourth assistant director on the sets of the TV show Tamas. The first time his work was recognised was in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1994 film, 1942: A Love Story. In 2008, Nitin got the opportunity to design the set of Slumdog Millionaire 2008.
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Other films to the credit of the late art director include, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Dostana, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Munnabhai MBBS, Mission Kashmir, Josh and Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, among many others. He also opened his film studio, ND Studios in 2005 on the outskirts of Mumbai at Karjat.
Nitin’s work was much appreciated. He won the National Film Award for Best Art Direction four times (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Lagaan, Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and the Filmfare Best Art Direction Award three times (Devdas, Khamoshi, 1942: A Love Story).
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First published on: 02-08-2023 at 10:43 IST