Nitin Desai death: 'He was going to make all payments that he promised,' says art director's daughter 

Acclaimed art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s daughter Mansi said in a statement that her father was going to make all the payments that he had promised. She added he had no intention to cheat anyone. She said in the statement accessed by ANI that due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was no work and ND Studios was closed. The art director’s company ND’s Art World borrowed around Rs 185 crore through two loans from ECL Finance in 2016 and 2018.

Troubles with repayments began from January 2020, a month before the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, according to a PTI report. “My father had no intention to cheat anyone and he was going to make all the payments that he promised. Due to the pandemic, there was no work and the studio was closed. And due to this, he was not able to make his regular payments,” Mansi’s statement to the media read.  

She further said that her father borrowed a loan worth Rs 181 crore from a company, of which he had already repaid Rs 86.31 crore. She mentioned that all the payments were made in February 2020.  

"The loan amount was Rs 181 crore, and we already made a payment of Rs 86.31 crore. We made all the payments in Feb 2020. Then they also wanted a six-month interest which my father paid by selling his office in Powai. He had no intention to fraud anyone and he was going to make all payments that he had promised," the statement added. 

Mansi also urged the media to not make any defamatory statements against her deceased father and stop spreading false information. “We would like to request the media to stop making defamatory statements against him and stop spreading false information. Please consult us before releasing any information,” she noted.  

The acclaimed art director was found dead on August 2 at his ND Studio in Khalapur Raigad near Karjat. Desai allegedly died by suicide. According to local BJP MLA from Karjat Mahesh Baldi, the art director took this step allegedly due to financial stress. The four-time National Award winning art director had very less work in around last five years compared to his previous years.  

Desai was known for designing the lavish sets of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Jodha Akbar, Lagaan and Devdas. He also worked on movies like 1942: A Love Story, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Baadshah, Munnabhai M.B.B.S., and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. The last big-budget movies where Desai was roped in for art direction were Panipat and Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo.  

Also Read: Nitin Desai named 4 people in voice notes before suicide, criticised financial services firm: Report

Also Read: Late Nitin Desai was facing financial distress, reportedly defaulted on Rs 252 cr loan