New Delhi: Famous art director Nitin Desai died of suicide on Wednesday, August 2. The filmmaker committed suicide at his studio located in Karjat, 80 km away from Mumbai. Although the cause of his death is unknown yet, financial crisis and debt are being specualted as the possible cause of the famous art director's suicide.


According to police sources, Nitin Desai went to his room at 10 pm last night. He didn't come out for a long time this morning. Then his body guard and other people knocked on the door but no one opened the door. 


Nitin Desai's body was found hanging from the ceiling fan. After which the police have been informed, the police have removed the body and sent it for post-mortem.


Maharashtra MLA Mahesh Baldi confirms the death of 'Lagaan' art director Nitin Desai to news agency ANI and says, "He was under financial stress and this could be the only reason for suicide."


"We have found the body of art director Nitin Desai hanging in his studio in Karjat. Police were informed about this by a worker on the set. When police team reached the studio we saw his body hanging. We are investigating the case further for ascertaining all the aspects in this case": Raigad SP.


Nitin Chandrakant Desai was born in Dapoli and is best known for his work in Marathi and Hindi films, the 2016 World Cultural Festival in Delhi, and films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). He was also a well-known Indian art director and production designer of Indian cinema. He worked with directors like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali over the course of his 20-year career.


With Chandrakant Productions' Desh Devi, a devotional movie about the Devi Mata of Kutch, he made the transition from actor to producer in 2002.


He received three Filmfare Best Art Direction Awards and four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction. 


He arrived at Mumbai's Film City Studios for the first time in May 1987 and promptly made the transition from still photography's 2-D format to the 3-D world of art direction. He worked as a fourth assistant alongside renowned art director Nitish Roy on Govind Nihalani's 1987 period TV series Tamas. Following that, he contributed to two TV shows: Kabir for five and a half years and Chanakya for the first 25 episodes before taking over on his own for the 26th episode.


Although Bhookamp by the Adhikari Brothers, released in 1993, was his debut movie, it was Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 1942: A Love Story, released in 1994, that made him famous. Over the years, he contributed to international projects and films like Parinda, Khamoshi, Maachis, Baadshah, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Raju Chacha.


He was also a recipient of four National Awards including two of Bhansali's blockbuster dramas 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and 'Devdas' along with Aamir Khan's Oscar nominated film 'Lagaan.'