Nitin Desai, art director known for ‘Lagaan’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, found dead in studio  

Famous art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai was found dead on Wednesday at his ND Studio in Khalapur Raigad, near Karjat. Nitin Desai died by suicide at around 4:30 am on Wednesday. Raigad SP Somnath Gharge said that police reached Desai’s studio after a worker apprised them of the development. He added that when the police reached the studio, they found Desai’s body hanging. The police is investigating ascertaining all aspects of the case, Raigad SP further mentioned.

Commenting on Desai’s sudden death, local MLA Mahesh Baldi said the late art director was in financial strain. "He was under financial stress and this could be the only reason for suicide," Baldi told ANI.

In his career spanning over two decades, Nitin Desai has worked with directors such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Ashutosh Gowariker, Abbas Mustan, Rajkumar Hirani, and Milan Luthria. Desai has also received the National Film Award for Best Direction for his work in movies like Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (1999), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000), Lagaan (2002), and Devdas (2003).

He also got the Filmfare Best Art Direction Award for 1942: A Love Story (1995), Khamoshi (1997), and Devdas (2003) and the IFA Best Art Direction Award for Jodhaa Akbar (2009). Desai also created two sets for the 2008 Danny Boyle-directorial Slumdog Millionaire, which included the set created for the Kaun Banega Crorepati scene. A year later, the acclaimed art director bagged the Maharashtra State Film Awards’ Best Art Direction award for Harishchandrachi Factory (2009).

He turned producer in 2002 with Chandrakant Productions’ Desh Devi, a devotional film on the Devi Mata of Kachch. Desai also produced TV serial Raja Shivchatrapati, the popular Marathi historical TV drama based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire.

Desai opened ND Studios, spread over 52 acres in Karjat near Mumbai, in 2005.  The studio has since hosted movies like Traffic Signal, Jodhaa Akbar, and Colors TV’s popular reality show Bigg Boss.

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