MUMBAI: Production designer and art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s sprawling film studio in Karjat (on the outskirts of Mumbai) celebrated its second anniversary celebrations this week.
When Oscar winning director Oliver Stone was scouting locations for his film Alexander with Desai, he was rather dismayed at the prevailing conditions of existing studios and the facilities provided by them. A suggestive remark indicating his feelings set off the trigger in Desai’s mind leading to the conceptualisation of a production studio in India. That’s how ND Studio was born.
Further to our article – ‘Nitin Desai’s ND Studio turns two’ – Businessofcinema.com brings a pictorial tour of the ND Studios.
Set against the backdrop of the Matheran mountains one gets an idea about the vast expanse of this studio from the entrance itself, which incidentally is spread over 52 acres.
This picture above shows the main entrance to ND Studio, which was not only lavishly decorated by the art designer for the evening, but also heavily guarded. And why wouldn’t it be when personalities like Uddhav Thackery, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan were going to be present at the venue.
Situated on the right hand side of the entrance gate is the helipad. Super busy Bollywood actors, directors etc are provided with the convenience of commuting in a chopper, which cuts the one and half hour distance by road to 15 minutes. Media reports have mentioned that actor Hrithik Roshan commutes from Mumbai to Karjat in a chopper on a daily basis for the shooting of Jodha Akbar.
Adjacent to this set is Asia’s longest studio with a floor size of – 240x100x40. Inside the studio is also Desai’s Prop Room wherein artifacts that have been used in set designing till date have been stored.
From neatly arranged beer bottles, miniature elephant showpieces, artifacts and statues, the Prop Room has a feel of a museum wherein one can spot sewing machines and typewriters of all shapes and sizes from various eras.
To the extreme end of this 52 acre studio is the set of Agra Fort where Ashutosh Gowarikar’s period drama Jodha Akbar is currently being shot. The movie stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.
In the vast expanse Desai has proposed a two phase project wherein he plans to build the Seven Wonders of the World, a film and television institute and a special effects studio.
A Bird’s Eye View of the Studio:
Related story:
Nitin Desai’s ND Studio turns two
Slideshow:
