Nitin Desai is a production director, who has designed sets for popular films including the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” and “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
New Delhi, 11 March 2024
The 96th Academy Awards took place on Monday at the Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Aamong the celebrities honored at the ‘at Memoriam’ part of the 96th Academy Awards was renowned Indian, production director Nitin Desai, who designed sets for popular films including the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” and “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.” Through its ‘In Memoriam’ montage, the Academy Awards honor industry icons that have gone away in the previous year.
Nitin Desai made his debut as a film producer in 2002 with Chandrakant Productions’ religious picture Desh Devi, which was based on the Devi Mata of Kutch. The 57 years old was found hanging in his apartment in Mumbai on August 2nd last year. Nitin Desai over the course of his twenty-year career has collaborated with filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Ashutosh Gowarikar.
Along with three Filmfare Awards he has also recieved four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction and for Best Art Direction. In 2005, he constructed his ND Studios spread over 52 acres in Karjat, Navi Mumbai, near Mumbai, which has since featured films including Jodhaa Akbar, Traffic Signal, as well as Color’s reality program Big Boss.
He has contributed to numerous international projects, including Salaam Bombay!, Amok a French film that won nomination for Desai a Pri Genie Jungle Book, Kama Sutra, the Canadian film Such a Long Journey and many more. He has also worked on films including Parinda, Khamoshi, Maachis, Baadshah, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Raju Chacha. In addition, he designed two sets for the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire: the interiors set of the Taj Mahal and the set for the Kaun Banega Crorepati sequence.
The majority of Desai’s productive career as an art director was spent on period films, as seen by the four National Film Award nominations he has received for Best Art Direction.
Earlier, in the year 2021 Academy Awards had also honored actor Irrfan Khan and Oscar-winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya in the tributes portion.
Prateeksha Kumari is a journalist and strategic communications professional specialising in digital journalism, political reporting, and public affairs. Her work focuses on grassroots issues, governance, and civic developments, with an emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and narrative-driven reporting.
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