From Devdas To Jodha Akbar, Remembering Late Art Director Nitin Desai’s Magical Journey In Bollywood

Nitin Chandrakant Desai was a popular art director and production designer, who predominantly worked in Hindi and Marathi films in the Entertainment world. The art director passed away on Wednesday in a case of suspected suicide. Nitin Desai worked in several popular films including 'Devdas', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', and more, and went ahead to win the National Award for art direction.

Indian cinema has a lot to owe to Nitin Desai as the man transformed the visual landscape of many blockbuster films. In his 30-year career span, he worked for over a hundred films in the entertainment world. His filmography sets him apart from being one of the most prolific art directors in the Indian cinematic world.

Birth

Nitin Desai was born in Maharashtra's Kolhapur and started his career as an art director in early 1990. He started his career with films like 'Phool Aur Kaante' and 'Jigar', and went on to create one of the most iconic sets in the Indian cinema that is the film set of 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun.'

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Notable Work

Nitin Desai started his career in 1987 and stepped into the world of television serials. He soon got his first break in the film industry with the film 'Bhookamp' released in 1993. However, in 1994 he first got noticed for his work in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's film '1942: A Love Story' featuring Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala.

In his three-decade-long career, he went on to work as an art director in over 58 films and as a production designer in 28 films. Some of his notable works included, 'Devdas', 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', 'Dostana', 'God Tussi Great Ho', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Swades', 'Gandhi', 'Lagaan', 'Badshah', 'Parinda', 'Fashion', 'Jodha Akbar' and several others.

He also created two sets for the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' and later on entered into the stream of direction and film production. Nitin Desai was also awarded the Maharashtra State Film Awards for Best Art Direction in 2009 for 'Harishchandrachi Factory.'

Cause Of Death

In 2005, Nitin Desai opened his studio and named it ND Studio located in Karjat, Maharashtra. The art director was found dead in his studio on August 2, with police rushing to the site for further investigation.

Also Read: Late Bollywood Art Director Nitin Desai Faced Financial Distress; Reportedly Defaulted On Rs 252 Crore Loan

The local police received a phone call at 10 am on Wednesday with the deceased's body being sent for post-mortem to determine the cause of the death. The art director was under financial stress and defaulted on a Rs 252 crore loan.