Following the death of Bollywood set designer Nitin Desai this year, the Maharashtra government is trying to acquire his production house property ND Studios in Karjat town of Raigad district, News18 learnt on Monday. According to sources, the state government has reserved the property, where films like Slumdog Millionaire, Bajirao Mastani, and Jodhaa Akbar as well as the reality show Bigg Boss have been shot, as a ‘studio’. Right now it is under the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)’s control and will soon be set aside for auction.
Started by Nitin Desai on a 52-acre land parcel in Karjat in 2005, the studio is approximately 50 km away from Mumbai.
Sources say the state government feels that considering the work of Nitin Desai in Bollywood, the property should be used as a ‘studio’ even in the future. According to them, chief minister Eknath Shinde has also assented to the Maharashtra government participating in the auction process whenever it takes place.
Desai was an art director, production designer, and film and television producer best known for his work in films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Jodhaa Akbar (2008) and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). During his career spanning twenty years, he worked with directors like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Cabinet minister for cultural affairs Sudhir Mungantiwar told News18, “We are trying to participate in the NCLT auction regarding the ND Studios of Nitin Desai. If our bid is successful, we will keep this property as ‘studio’ only and offer it at a reasonable rate for shooting especially for Marathi films and series.”
Sources say Nitin Desai had picked up a loan of over Rs 100 crore from a private institution but faced difficulties in repaying it around 2020. The matter reached the NCLT. The four-time National Award winner ended his life at ND Studios on August 2 this year.
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