1942: A Love Story 

This 1994 film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave Desai his much deserved recognition

Desai had the task of setting up Himachal in Mumbai

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)

Desai won several awards for his work in the film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali including the National award

He made brilliant use of colorful sets to enhance several moments of the story 

Devdas (2002) 

For his second collaboration with SLB, he created the world of Devdas

Desai spent nearly a year in building the sets for this film. He did extensive research for the film and used different colour palettes for Devdas and Paro's houses. The cost of the sets has been estimated at 200 million

Jodhaa Akbar ( 2008) 

The film starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan was set in the Mughal era. It marked Desai's third collaboration with Ashutosh Gowariker after Lagaan and Swades

Desai took "lakhs of photographs" of Amer Fort and Agra fort. Using the photos as reference, he erected sets consisting of the inner portions of both places in his studio. The inner portions that were erected by Desai included the Diwan-e-Am, Diwan-e-Khas, Jodhaabai's inner chambers and the fort's gardens. The entire set measured 1,600 feet long, 600 feet wide and 68 feet high, which according to Desai was equivalent to "seven floors of a high-rise"

Swades (2004)

Swades is inspired by the story of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, the non-resident Indian couple who returned to India and developed a pedal power generator to light remote, off-the-grid village schools

Desai brought the essence of the village through his set designs

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000) 

This film depicts the life and times of a great social reformer, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. It documents his journey as a student in New York to the battles he fought for his community

Desai won the National Award for this period drama based on a true story. He successfully depicted the pre-independence and independent India era in the film

Kaun Banega Crorepati (2000)

Who can ever forget this magnum game show. The sets of the show was well thought out and designed by Desai

While there have been minor changes in the design over the years, Desai's core set design has always been retained

Harishchandrachi Factory (2009)

Dadasaheb Phalke accidentally discovers a tent screening a silent movie and is amazed by the idea of storytelling. He brings together a team of technicians to produce India's first feature film.

Set in the early 1900s of Maharashtra, Desai captured the surroundings of Phalke in pre-Independence era

Lagaan (2001)

Desai's first collaboration with Gowariker was India's official entry for the oscars

One of the first members to join the production team was Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the art director, with whom Gowariker set out for an extensive location hunt throughout India, to find the setting for the fictional town of Champaner, in late 1998. After searching through Rajasthan, Nasik, UP, they zeroed in on an ancient village near Bhuj, located in Gujarat's Kutch district, by May 1999, where the film was primarily shot