One who created several of these experiences for the Indian audience was the ever-classic Nitin Desai. Desai’s precise attention to detail and exceptional ability to design mesmerizing settings improved the visual storytelling in Indian movies.
Let’s take a look at some incredible films that highlight Nitin Desai’s artistic brilliance.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Nitin Desai, both renowned for their opulent and extravagant productions, are the team behind it. The result of this pair of creative geniuses’ collaboration was a visually stunning movie. Every single visual component of the film was masterfully designed to give viewers an enchanting experience. When Bhansali made his directorial debut with Khamoshi: The Musical, Desai was there, and their chemistry has only got better over time. In Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, they have created a visual extravaganza that carries viewers into a world of luxury and beauty.
Lagaan
It’s not simple work being an art director. It necessitates an increasing amount of research and understanding of local cultures and architectural styles. The 1890s were the time period that the movie Lagaan was depicting. For this movie, Nitin Desai created an entire village with the assistance of locals. Desai was very particular about the specifics because he didn’t want it to appear staged. He constructed the village utilizing regional architectural styles.
Devdas
Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Nitin Desai once again created an extraordinary masterpiece with Devdas. The film transported the audience to a fantasy land with opulent palaces, lavish outfits, and impressive sets. Besides all of these, they encountered numerous challenges while making the movie with climate changes. The kotha of Chandramukhi was one of the wonders created by Desai. Another architectural wonder that heightened the film’s visual splendor was Paro’s glass house.
Jodhaa Akbar
Nitin Desai shot untold numbers of photographs of Amer Fort and Agra Fort for this film. 1,600 feet long, 600 feet wide, and 68 feet tall were the dimensions of the entire set. He constructed the sets in his studio, using the images he took as a reference. Jodha Akbar’s sets featured incredible attention to detail. Around 120 million rupees were thought to be spent on the entire set. With its lavish production design, Jodha Akbar transported viewers back to a time portraying the opulence and grandeur of the Mughal era.
Kaun Banega Crorepati
Nitin Desai not only created sets for movies, but he also created the sets for one of India’s most popular TV shows, Kaun Banega Crorepati. He was once praised by Amitabh Bachchan for his commitment to KBC, saying that he had never seen a set as admirable as the one for Kaun Banega Crorepati. He also credited Nitin Desai with the show’s enormous success and popularity.