Nitin Desai

Nitin Chandrakant Desai was an Indian art director, production designer, and film and television producer. He was known for his work in Marathi and Hindi films, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). Desai was born in Mulund, Bombay, Maharashtra, in 1965. He studied photography at the J.J. School of Art and L.S. Raheja School of Arts, in Mumbai, before joining the films. He began his career as a fourth assistant to the esteemed art director Nitish Roy on the television film Tamas (1987). He later worked as a fourth assistant on the TV series Kabir (1988-1990). In 1991, Desai worked as an independent art director for the first time on the TV series Chanakya. He went on to work on several other TV series and films, including the critically acclaimed Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), which won him his first National Film Award for Best Production Design. Desai's work was recognized with numerous awards, including four National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards, and the IIFA Award for Best Art Direction. He was also a recipient of the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor. Desai died on August 2, 2023, at the age of 57. He is survived by his wife, Naina, and their two children.