Maha Dy CM Ajit Pawar expresses grief at the demise of art director Nitin Desai

File Photo/PTI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday expressed shock at the demise of renowned art director Nitin Chadrakant Desai. Desai was found dead in his studio in Maharashtra's Raigad district, police said on Wednesday.

"Shocked to hear the news of the suicide of art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai. Nitin Desai, who had close and friendly relations with many people in the art, political and social spheres of Maharashtra, suddenly passed away in such a manner,' Pawar said in a statement.

He said it is incomprehensible, unbelievable and mind-blowing.

Nitin Desai was at the top in the field of art direction. Apart from being an art director, he also made a mark of achievement as a producer, director, and actor.

Pawar said Nitin's death has caused a great loss to Indian art and Maharashtra. "I share the grief of Nitin Desai's family and offer my heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace," said the Deputy Chief Minister.

Earlier Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid homage to four-time National Award-winning art director Nitin Desai.

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Taking to Twitter, CM Shinde wrote in Marathi, "Veteran art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai passed away today. This is an unfortunate and a shocking piece of news. The demise of Desai, who created a world of his own through his unique set designs in Marathi and Hindi films, is saddening. He had a special association with Tembhi Naka Devi (a popular temple in Maharashtra). He preserved and carried forward a tradition which started with Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb. Navratri celebrations here came to unforgettable because of him (Desai). There was a lot of curiosity among the people to see his art works. It pains me that such a nice and humble man, who also happened to be a good friend, is no more with us. Today is a very sad day for me and our film industry."

Meanwhile, film personalities, including Hema Malini, Manoj Bajpayee, Siddhartha Basu, and Neil Nitin Mukesh, condoled the demise of celebrated art director Nitin Desai, remembering him as a "genius" and "a warm human being".

Desai, known for designing sets of popular big-budget titles such as Ashutosh Gowariker's "Lagaan" and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", was found hanging at his studio in the Karjat area of Raigad, about 50 km from Mumbai, said a senior police official. Desai was 57.

Actor-politician Hema Malini said Desai's death was a "terrible loss" to the film industry.

"Such a warm human being, associated with many of my projects and ballets... May he find peace wherever he is," she tweeted.

Bhansali Productions, founded by director Bhansali, paid homage to Desai on social media. The banner shared a photo of the art director on its Instagram Stories and captioned it as "May your soul rest in peace".

"Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Nitin Desai. A brilliant art director and a good friend, his contribution to Indian cinema has been monumental. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time," actor Sanjay Dutt wrote on Twitter.

Neil said it is difficult to accept the heartbreaking news of Desai's death. The late art director worked on "Jail", the 2009 film starring the actor.

"Our beloved #nitindesai has left for his heavenly abode. He was simply a genius. A visionary artist with grace, style who understood not just his craft but people. He was a positive soul who spread only love to all. My God give his family strength. Om Shanti," he posted on Twitter, which was recently rebranded as 'X'.

Basu, who worked with Desai on popular reality shows such as "Kaun Banega Crorepati" and "Dus Ka Dum", said he was shocked to hear about the passing of his "friend and artistic collaborator".

"He made sets for so many of our shows - KBC, Kamzor Kadi, Heartbeat, Bluffmaster, Dus ka Dum, Sach ka Saamna.. Conjuring world class installations on an industrial scale. Om shanti," Basu wrote on the microblogging site.

Desai was also known for his art work in films such as "Jodhaa Akbar", "Swades", "Parinda", and "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", "Parinda", as well as web series "Paurashpur".

In his career spanning over 30 years, Desai earned National Film Awards in Best Art Direction for four films, namely "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar" (1999), "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" (2000), "Lagaan" (2002), and "Devdas" (2003). He was a frequent collaborator of directors like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, and Gowariker.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh remembered Desai as a soft-spoken visionary.

"Deeply shocked to know that #NitinDesai, a legendary Production Designer who has contributed immensely to the growth of Indian cinema in no more.

"My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. I had known him for years.. soft spoken, humble, ambitious & a visionary¿ you will be missed my friend. Om Shanti (sic)," Deshmukh tweeted.

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia said Desai was "one of the best production designers we had".

"I met and worked with him on Hum Panchi Ek Daal ke - heartfelt condolences to his team, his family and the staff at ND studio," said the director in a tweet.

Director Madhur Bhandarkar, who worked with the late designer on films such as "Traffic Signal", "Fashion" and "Jail", said Desai will be missed.

"His immense talent and extrovert personality made every project unforgettable. Indian cinema has lost a true gem. Heartfelt condolences to his family members. We will miss you Dada. #OmShanti," Bhandarkar said. (Agencies)