Famous Indian film director Nitin Desai dead, aged 58, was found dead in his ND Studio in Karjat, approximately 80 kilometers away from Mumbai, on Wednesday morning. The police reported that Desai was found hanging from a rope on a stage in the studio. An accidental death report (ADR) was registered at the Khalapur police station.
Investigation into the Incident at ND Studio in Karjat:
According to the police, the studio employees noticed Desai hanging from a noose and immediately informed the authorities. Along with the Khalapur police team, Superintendent of Police Somanath Gharge from Raigad arrived at the scene.
During media interactions, Gharge asserted, “Our investigation encompasses a comprehensive examination from every possible perspective.”, and an ADR was filed at the Khalapur police station. He mentioned that they had called in a team of experts, including forensic specialists, cyber experts from Mumbai, fingerprint experts, and a dog squad. Gharge said, “We are investigating from all angles.”
Senior Police Inspector and Investigation Officer Bala Kumbhar of Khalapur police station revealed that they received information about Desai’s alleged suicide around 9 AM that morning.
Kumbhar said, “The studio staff found him hanging on the rope in the morning.” However, he denied giving further details about the ongoing investigation.
The Abandoned Studio and Financial Crisis:
According to the Raigad police, the case is sensitive, and it is necessary to conduct a post-mortem examination in the presence of a panel of forensic specialists and doctors. Therefore, Desai’s body was sent to Sir J.J. Hospital for the post-mortem. The police stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that the studio in Karjat had not been used for shooting purposes for quite some time.
#WATCH | Maharashtra MLA Mahesh Baldi confirms the death of 'Lagaan' art director Nitin Desai, 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… pic.twitter.com/RIl0vjgOc5
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2023
Maharashtra | Visuals from outside ND Studios in Karjat, Raigad district, where the body of art director Nitin Desai was found hanging pic.twitter.com/7T7FqxDSeb
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2023
Voice Message Left by Nitin Desai:
It has been discovered that the police received a recorded voice message left by Desai in which he mentioned four people. However, the Khalapur police declined to share details, as it was given for forensic examination. It is known that Desai was drowned in debts and had also approached the district administration for the studio’s mortgage.
Desai’s Schedule and Last Moments:
As per the studio staff, Desai arrived at the ND Studio in Karjat on Tuesday night, around 2:30 AM, after flying from Delhi to Mumbai airport. It is claimed that he allegedly committed suicide around 4 AM the same morning.
Nitin Desai’s Four-Time National Award Winner:
Desai was a four-time National Award-winning director for Best Art Direction. He was credited with designing grand sets for several blockbuster films, including “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,” “Devdas,” “Jodhaa Akbar,” “Lagaan,” and “Bajirao Mastani.”
Over his career of more than two decades, Desai collaborated with many prominent filmmakers, such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowariker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and others.
It is reported that Desai’s last rites will be performed at the Karjat studio on Friday.