Nitin Desai Wife, Daughter, Son, Age, Death, Parents, Net Worth, Biography, Wiki & More

Nitin Desai was one of the most celebrated and influential art directors and production designers in Indian cinema. He worked on numerous iconic films, creating stunning sets that transported audiences to different eras and worlds. He was also a film and television producer, who owned his own studio in Karjat, Maharashtra.

Spouse, Son, Daughter

Nitin Desai married Naina Gupta in 1992. Naina Gupta is a fashion designer who runs her own label called Naina’s Couture. She has also designed costumes for some of Nitin’s films such as Devdas and Jodhaa Akbar. The couple had two children: a son named Siddhant Desai and a daughter named Mansi Desai.

Siddhant Desai is an actor who made his debut with the Marathi film Babli Bouncer in 2021. He also appeared in the web series Maharana Pratap, which was produced by his father. Mansi Desai is an aspiring director who assisted Sooraj Barjatya in the film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. She also worked as an assistant director in her father’s television show Buddha.

Nitin was very close to his family and often shared pictures of them on his social media accounts. He also celebrated his daughter’s wedding in a lavish manner in May 2023. He invited many celebrities from the film industry to the wedding, such as Ashutosh Gowariker, Madhur Bhandarkar, Gurmeet Choudhary, etc.

Biodata – Wiki

Cause of Death

He passed away on August 2, 2023, at the age of 57, reportedly by suicide. His death shocked and saddened the film fraternity, who remembered him as a visionary and a friend. In this article, we will explore the life and legacy of Nitin Desai, his personal and professional achievements, his family and relationships, and some interesting facts about him.

Age, Birthplace

Nitin Chandrakant Desai was born on August 9, 1966, (age: 57 years ) in Mumbai. He was the son of Chandrakant Desai, a businessman, and Shobha Desai, a homemaker. He had two siblings, a brother named Prashant Desai and a sister named Priti Desai. He grew up in a middle-class family and developed an interest in art and design from a young age. He studied at St. Mary’s High School in Mazgaon and later graduated from Sir J.J. School of Art with a diploma in commercial art.

Parents, Siblings

Nitin Desai was a famous art director and producer who belonged to a family of film enthusiasts. His father, Chandrakant Ganpat Desai, was a cinematographer and his mother, Meena Chandrakant Desai, was a film producer. He had a brother and a sister, whose names are not known. His sister, Vaishali, was also involved in the film industry as an art director. He married Naina Desai, who is a costume designer and producer.

They have two sons, Nishant and Siddhant, who are also working in the film industry as directors and producers. Desai’s family was very supportive of his passion for art and cinema. He often credited his father for inspiring him to pursue his career as an art director³. He also shared a close bond with his wife and sons, who helped him in his projects and productions. His family was devastated by his sudden death on August 2, 2023, when he was found hanging in his studio in Karjat. He was 58 years old.

Career as an Art Director

Nitin Desai started his career as an assistant art director in 1989 with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film Parinda. He impressed Chopra with his creativity and dedication and went on to work with him on several other projects, such as 1942: A Love Story (1993), Kareeb (1998), Mission Kashmir (2000), and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007). He also collaborated with other prominent filmmakers, such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rajkumar Hirani, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ram Gopal Varma, and Rohit Shetty.

Nitin was known for his meticulous attention to detail and ability to recreate historical and fictional settings with authenticity and grandeur. He designed sets for films such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Panipat (2019), and many more. He also worked on television shows such as Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), Chanakya (1991), The Sword of Tipu Sultan (1990-1991), Mahabharat (2013-2014), Maharana Pratap (2014-2015), and others.

Desai won several awards for his art direction, including four National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards, four IIFA Awards, four Zee Cine Awards, three Screen Awards, two Stardust Awards, and one Global Indian Film Award. He also received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India, in 2002.

Career as a Producer

Nitin Desai ventured into film production in 2005 with the Marathi film Aai No. 1. He also produced the Hindi films Rang Rasiya (2008) and Balgandharva (2011). He was also a co-producer of the Marathi film Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015) and the Hindi film Indu Sarkar (2017). He also produced television shows such as Jhansi Ki Rani (2009-2011) and Buddha (2013-2014).

Desai owned his own studio in Karjat, called ND Studios. The studio was spread over 52 acres of land and had various sets such as palaces, forts, villages, markets, etc. The studio was used for shooting films such as Jodhaa Akbar, Slumdog Millionaire, Bajirao Mastani, Dabangg 3, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, etc. It was also used for shooting television shows such as Bigg Boss Marathi, Kaun Banega Crorepati Marathi, etc.

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Death and Legacy

Nitin Desai was found dead at his studio in Karjat on August 2, 2023. He was reportedly found hanging from a ceiling fan with a rope around his neck. The police suspected that he died by suicide and registered an accidental death report. They also recovered an audio recording from his phone, which they said was being analysed by the forensic team.

The news of his death shocked and saddened the film fraternity, who expressed their condolences and tributes on social media. Many celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Sonam Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, etc. remembered him as a visionary and a friend. They also praised his work and contribution to Indian cinema.

Desai left behind a rich legacy of art and design that will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences. He was one of the most celebrated and influential art directors and production designers in Indian cinema. He worked on numerous iconic films, creating stunning sets that transported audiences to different eras and worlds. He was also a film and television producer, who owned his own studio in Karjat, Maharashtra. He was also a recipient of several awards and honours, including the Padma Shri. He will be remembered as a legend who brought magic to the screen with his creativity and passion.

Net Worth

According to one source, his net worth was estimated to be 15-20 crore INR. He started his career as an assistant art director and rose to fame with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942: A Love Story.

He collaborated with directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rajkumar Hirani, and Danny Boyle. He also created his own studio, N D Studio, in Karjat, where he produced many Marathi films and shows. He was found dead in his studio on August 2, 2023, in an apparent suicide. He was 58 years old.

Facts/Trivia

• He made his Bollywood debut as an art director with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).
• Nitin won four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction for Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Bajirao Mastani (2015).
• He also won three Filmfare Best Art Direction Awards for 1942: A Love Story (1994), Devdas (2002), and Jodhaa Akbar (2008).
• Nitin founded ND Studios, a film and television production facility in Karjat, Maharashtra.
• He produced the film Desh Devi (2002), which was based on the Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.
• Nitin also acted in a few films, such as Khakee (2004), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), and Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
• He was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in 2016.
• He created some of the most iconic and memorable sets in Bollywood history, such as the replica of Agra Fort for Jodhaa Akbar, the replica of Shaniwar Wada for Bajirao Mastani, and the replica of Lahore Railway Station for Gandhi, My Father4.
• He also worked on international projects, such as The Warrior (2001), The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005), and Slumdog Millionaire (2008). He won the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design for The Warrior.
• Nitin was involved in the World Cultural Festival 2016 at Delhi, where he designed a 7-acre stage that hosted over 35,000 artists from 155 countries.