Late art director Nitin Desai's studio: History, films shot there
National Award-winning art director Nitin Desai's untimely demise on Wednesday sent shockwaves through Bollywood. The tragic incident transpired at his Karjat-based studio and after his autopsy, the doctors revealed that the cause of death was hanging. He reportedly left a note requesting that his last rites must be conducted at the aforementioned ND Studios. We take a look at his labor of love.
History of the famous studio
Desai laid the studio's foundation in 2005. It is located in Karjat, Maharashtra, and is about 1.5 hours away from Mumbai. Not only has it caught traction for housing film sets, but it's reportedly also the location of the Salman Khan-hosted reality show Bigg Boss. Spread over 52 acres, it provides options for both indoor and outdoor shooting, making it a favorite of filmmakers.
International tie-ups and 'Lean On'
Per reports, in 2008, 20th Century Studios, entered a deal with the ND Studios to hire four floors. In 2015, Major Lazer-DJ Snake-MØ's global chartbuster Lean On was partly shot here! Major Lazer member Diplo said, "Major Lazer has always been a culture mashup and India feels like some kind of special creature with one foot in history and one firmly in the future."
There is also a Bollywood theme park here!
ND Studios also offers a dream experience for true-blue film fans—an expansive tour of the theme park that was set up in 2018. It reportedly takes about three hours to complete the tour and people get the chance to visit up-close the locations and opulent sets where their favorite films and shows were brought to life. It's reportedly India's first such theme park.
Films that were shot at the studio
A number of mainstream Hindi films have been shot at the studio, with most of them being big-budget actioners or historical period dramas. Some examples are Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani, Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar, television series Jodha Akbar, Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, TV series Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Sajid Nadiadwala's Kick, and Marathi TV series Raja Shivchhatrapati.
Career: Desai's prominent Bollywood films
Desai was also a production designer, producer, director, and actor. He was a four-time winner of the National Film Awards (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Lagaan, and Devdas). Desai produced the periodical TV drama titled Chittod Ki Rani Padmini Ka Johur, apart from acting in Hello Jai Hind! and directed Ajintha. The 57-year-old often shared glimpses from the studio on Instagram.
