Late Art Director Nitin Desai Honoured At The Oscars (image: instagram.com/nitinchandrakantdesai)

The Oscars” In Memoriam segment honoured acclaimed art director Nitin Desai on Monday, along with many individuals from the entertainment industry. Aged 57, he was found dead at his studio in Karjat, Maharashtra, in August last year.

Nitin Desai, known officially as Nitin Chandrakant Desai, began his journey in the entertainment industry with TV series. In 1989, with Parinda, Nitin Desai made his debut as an art director in films. The work in Vidhu Vinod Chopra”s 1942: A Love Story brought him recognition. In a career spanning over 20 years, Desai has worked on numerous Hindi and Marathi films.

He is known for his collaborations with famed directors including Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Rajkumar Hirani. The magic Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Nitin Desai created through the movies Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Bajirao Mastani is still remembered.

Some of his other well-known projects include Devdas, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Mission Kashmir, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Munnabhai MBBS, and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. Nitin Desai worked as a production designer for Lagaan, Swades, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Jodhaa Akbar, and many more. Besides, he received the opportunity to design the sets for the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. Later, he became a film producer as well.

In 2005, he opened his film studio, ND Studios, in Karjat. Nitin Desai is the recipient of many awards and honours, including the National Film Award for Best Art Direction four times and the Filmfare Best Art Direction Award three times. His last film was Ashutosh Gowariker”s epic drama, Panipat.