Nitin Chandrakant Desai and his films – Part 2

August 16, 2023

In this second part of the exhaustive article based on Nitin Desai’s career, let’s read about Nitin Desai’s working style. Nitin Desai used to do any film with complete preparation. He tried to bring perfection in the production of the film Balgandharva and the direction of the film Ajintha. In the grand studio, Desai’s office was made of transparent glass. Like this transparent office, he did whatever he did openly without any hindrance. He only hid his worries.

Nitin Desai worked on more than 200 films, and for more than ten thousand episodes. No one will believe it, but he has kept all the records properly. Mandar Joshi has published a handsome book titled ‘Nitin Chandrakant Desai – Adhunik Yugacha Vishwakarma’. It mostly covers all of these.

The research done by him for each film, the reiki done by him, the sketches made for it, have been preserved. He had a whole factory in his studio. Every component he needed was made in this factory – pillars, chairs, walls, windows, clothes… everything. Many artisans used to work for it. To go to that factory and watch their work was a joy for me. A different design for each set, different craftsmanship, different hard work… all these then accumulated in his stock. If a producer had a financial crunch, it could be useful for him. Dada was an expensive art director, but when his name was mentioned, the price of the artwork would go up. Then the producers also paid him to that extent. He may have earned huge amounts of money, but did they spend it on enjoyment? For sure – No! Whatever was earned, it was poured into the studio.

His movie ‘Baalgandharva’ did well. Subodh, Dada and Mahesh Limaye’s visuals, Abhiram Bhadkamkar’s writing and skills, Aditya Oak’s melodious musical performance! Drama music entered the iPods of the youth. After that, Dada decided to make his dream project ‘Ajintha’. In one of the meetings, Dada was saying something about Ajintha’s shot taking etc., upon which it was suggested to him, why don’t you direct? Initially he was the Assistant art director, thereafter Chief art director, then the Production designer, then Producer, so the natural progression was to become the Director. He decided so. Preparations started and I went to America for some domestic work. I returned after a month. After a couple of days in the evening while going from Panvel to Karjat, I got his call, “Where are you?” “Here, just passing from your studio”; “Yes, I saw your car just left, I’m just behind you.” “Come to the studio.” “Dada, will join you after leaving the family to home.” I went to Karjat and returned. Went to his office, he took out his car, took me across the studio to the other end. We crossed Raigad (in the special lingo of the studio) and right behind stood the virgin set of ‘Ajintha’. He said to me, “It is completed just today. I went to the Powai office. I saw your car coming, so called you. When did you return from America?”

The caves were created as exact replicas of the original. A hut was erected. All amenities were provided inside the hut. There was a double swing hanging from the tree. A month and a half ago there used to be a ditch there, that had been turned into a pond. There were lotus plants planted in it. The ducks were walking by. The evening was advancing. The golden sunrays were spreading their magic over the area. The first quarter moon was rising. Dada, Shrikant uncle, Sonali Kulkarni, Bob (the hero of the film) moved ahead. Dada had erected some mirrors there. He asked to make a small angle of those mirrors, and the dazzling light went into the caves he had created which thrilled the mind. I have never been to Ajintha. But have seen it in pictures. Dada had created such a set that we felt as if we were in Ajintha. The carvings in the caves, the paintings there, the restless antique freshness of those paintings, and all the shades of colors. We were drinking that beauty with amazed eyes and were storing the scene into our eyes. A hundred-and-fifty-year-old village was built on the open plains of the side. The village of the tribal people, their deities, the monstrous eyes of those deities and the affection that could be felt even through those monstrosities, the beautiful use of the trees that were there from the before; everything was vast, magical, where they had set up the set of the series earlier where ‘Marathi Paool Padate Pudhe’ (‘Marathi footstep marches ahead’), where a big cliff was created near that place and a waterfall was falling from it. Everything was beautiful and picturesque. The creator of all that creation himself showed us his creation. There was no pride, no arrogance in his demeanor. We went to his office. All glass office. Everything transparent. Nothing to hide. Even the huge debt was never hidden. Hidden were the worries about it. Anyway. On the glass walls of that office are displayed Ajintha’s known history, through story boards, and more. Dada finally asked, “Anything you wish to suggest?” I slapped my forehead. I said to Dada, “What is this? Who are you asking? I am just as raw as a rock.” He laughed loudly and said, “I am asking you because you are a rock. If a rock likes it, everyone likes it.” Jokes apart, ‘Ajintha’ was well made, gorgeous, certainly not a classic, but not wasteful either. But it sank hard. Dada lost a few crores. But, even from that, the man came out of it with courage.

After a few days, I went to the studio casually. And was amazed. On the way to Raigad, there was a big flat open area in front, a whole palace was standing on that place and the work of decorating the frontage of that palace was going on. Dada was not there, Shrikant uncle was there. He said, “Salman’s new film is coming, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, this is it’s set. The shooting is starting in a fortnight.” Then, he showed its perspective plan. I said, “It can’t be completed in fifteen days.” Uncle said, “Oh, it is Nitin. Just watch.” And indeed, the whole set was completed. The immensely rich house, everything in that house, the magnificence, all the exact measurements behind it, even the steps of the stairs! Nothing less anywhere. Among them, that amazing set of the mirror palace. Dada had used geometrical shapes and measurements in an impeccable manner. When its perspective was being created on the computer, it was causing confusion, it was confusing while watching the film also, and even in reality, it caused confusion. Markings were made on the ground below. Artists used to walk based on that. I never got to see that set. Dada had messaged two or three times. But there was no leisure time from college. Finally, I was able to visit at the time of demolition of the set. I realized the meaning of the Hindi saying ‘Khandahar Batate Hain, Imarat kitni buland thi’ (‘The ruins narrate how magnificent the building was’).