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BOLLYWOOD SPECIAL AUGUST 11, 2023 | The Indian Eye 34

Bollywood in a huge shock as

legendary art director Nitin Desai

ends life due to debt

He had worked in several big-budget films such as ‘Devdas’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Jodhaa

Akbar’, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’, and ‘Panipat

OUR BUREAU Desai’s death case.
While replying to a question
Mumbai
in the Maharashtra state assembly,
amous art director Nitin Desai Devendra Fadnavis said, “We will in-
was found dead on Wednesday vestigate all angles-- whether he was
Fin his studio in Maharashtra’s pressurised. We will see if anything
Raigad district. According to the po- can be done for him as far as the stu-
lice, Desai’s body was found hanging dio is concerned. At present we can’t
in his ND Studio in Karjat, some 80 make any announcement on it. We
km outside Mumbai. Desai, 57, had will also investigate the people whom
worked as an art director in several he used to meet too.”
big-budget films such as ‘Devdas’, Actor Aamir Khan, who paid his
‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Jodhaa last respect to veteran art director
Akbar’, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, Nitin Chandrakant Desai on Friday
‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’, and expressed his grief. During media in-
‘Panipat’. teraction, Aamir said, “This is very
On Friday, his mortal remains shocking news. I am unable to under-
were brought to the ND Art World stand how did this happen. I can’t be-
Studio Pvt Ltd studio. A host of ce- lieve it. I wish he had not done this and
lebrities visited ND studio to pay reached out for help instead. But what
their last respects to him and extend can we say in such a tragic situation,
condolences to the bereaved family. weiss Group regarding debt recovery. of death is hanging. “Postmortem it is very difficult to understand what
Among those who paid a visit to the “Based on the complaint, the po- of art director Nitin Desai has been has happened. It is very sad. We have
art director’s kin were actor Aamir lice registered a case under sections conducted by a team of four doc- lost someone who was very talented.”
Khan and filmmaker Ashutosh 306 and 34 of the IPC against 5 people, tors. As per preliminary findings, the Director Madhur Bhandarkar
Gowariker. including officials of ECL Finance cause of death is hanging. Further in- who also paid their last tribute to De-
Desai He was noted for his in- Company and Edelweiss,” as per vestigation is underway,” police said. sai while talking to ANI said, “It was
novative studio design and had col- the Police statement. The Khalapur On Thursday Maharashtra Dep- very upsetting to see... It was a bond
laborated with filmmakers like as police are probing the matter. uty Chief Minister Devendra Fadna- of years with Nitin Desai including
Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod The preliminary findings in the vis said that all possible angles will be four movies - Fashion, Jail, Indu
Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and San- postmortem revealed that the cause investigated in the Art Director Nitin Sarkar and Traffic Signal. I believe
jay Leela Bhansali. it was an untimely demise. He gave
importance and status to art and art
He had won three Filmfare director. The industry has lost a huge
talent. We will miss Nitin dada,” said
Awards for Best Art Direction Film Director Madhur Bhandarkar

and four National Film Awards on Nitin Desai’s demise.”
Apart from them, Sanjay Leela
for Best Art Direction. Bhansali, Manoj Joshi, Mukesh Ri-
shi, Sonali Kulkarni, and others were
Now, Raigad police officials also spotted. Bharatiya Janata Party
have registered a case against 5 (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya also at-
people in art director Nitin Desai’s tended the last rites of Desai.
suicide case. Raigad police said in a Maharashtra chief minister,
statement that a case has been reg- Eknath Shinde and Deputy chief
istered on the basis of the complaint minister, Ajit Pawar also paid their
of Neha Desai, wife of Nitin Desai. last respects to Desai. CM Shinde
Police said Neha Desai told them and deputy CM Pawar visited Sir JJ
that Nitin Desai died by suicide due Police personnel stand guard outside ND Studios where the body of art director Nitin Desai Hospital’s mortuary in Maharash-
to mental pressure from the officials (above) was found hanging at Karjat in Raigad district on Wednesday (ANI) tra’s Mumbai, where Desai’s body
of ECL Finance Company and Edel- was kept.

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