New Delhi: Late Bollywood art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai was accorded an emotional tribute during the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment alongside music legend Tina Turner, actor Matthew Perry, and many more. The late art director Nitin Desai was paid a glowing tribute by Andrea and Matteo Bocelli during the Oscars 2024 ceremony.
Desai was remembered for his innovative studio design and work on some of the biggest film projects in recent years. He collaborated with filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Desai’s work on films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000), Lagaan (2002), Devdas (2003), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) were highly acclaimed. He won three Filmfare Awards for Best Art Direction and four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction.
Apart from Nitin Desai, other notable figures from the global entertainment industry remembered in the segment were directors William Friedkin and Norman Jewison, as well as actors John Bailey, Robbie Robertson, Richard Lewis, Lee Sun-Kyun, Carl Weathers, Matthew Perry, Andre Braugher, among many more.
Desai passed away on August 2, 2023. His death came as a great loss for the film industry, with a long line of industry stalwarts as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paying glowing tributes. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.