Renowned art director Nitin Desai was found dead in his studio in Karjat. As per officials, he died by suicide on Wednesday. He was 57. The postmortem reports reveal that the cause of death is due to hanging, as per Raigad police. A team of four doctors conducted it. The staff claimed that Desai reached Mumbai airport from Delhi on Tuesday midnight. He reached ND Studio in Karjat around 2.30 am. He breathed his last around 4 am.
While there are no reports of foul play, it has been learned that police found a recorded voice message left by Desai in which he is understood to have mentioned four persons. However, the Khalapur police refused to share the details as it was given for forensic investigation. Desai was debt-ridden and even the financer had reportedly approached the district administration for the attachment of the studio.
Maharashtra MLA Mahesh Baldi said the celebrated art director behind 'Lagaan' was under financial strain. "He was under financial stress, which may have driven him to end his life," Baldi said.
Desai was frustrated as some vested interests in Bollywood were reportedly discouraging producers from hiring his studio, claimed Jitendra Patil, a local leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena while speaking to the media.
The last rites of Desai will take place on August 4 at ND Studio. Desai was noted for his innovative studio design and collaborated with filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
He was famed for his work in movies like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000), Lagaan (2002), Devdas (2003), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015).
He had won three Filmfare Awards for Best Art Direction and four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction.
