Nitin Desai, Production Designer of Oscar-Nominated Bollywood Blockbuster ‘Lagaan,’ Dies at 57
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the Indian production designer best known for his work on the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” (2001) and BAFTA-nominated “Devdas” (2002), was found dead Aug.
2 at his studio in Karjat, near Bollywood capital Mumbai. He was 57. According to Indian news agency PTI, local police suspect that Desai allegedly died of suicide, though they are investigating further.
During his distinguished career, Desai worked with Mira Nair on the Oscar-nominated “Salaam Bombay” (1988) and “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.” He also worked with several leading Bollywood filmmakers including Vidhu Vinod Chopra on “Parinda” (1989) and “1942: A Love Story” (1993); Sanjay Leela Bhansali on “Khamoshi: The Musical” (1995), “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999) and “Devdas” (2002); Ashutosh Gowariker on “Lagaan” (2001) and “Jodhaa Akbar” (2008); and Rajkumar Hirani on the “Munna Bhai” franchise.
He also designed the “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) set for “Kaun Banega Crorepati?,” the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” In 2003, Desai produced “Desh Devi Maa Ashapura” and went on to produce films and TV series that showcased his prowess with historical backdrops including “Raja Shivchhatrapati” (2008) and “Chittod Ki Rani Padmini Ka Johur” (2009).
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