The Making of 'Mission Kashmir's' Climax Set: Art Director Nitin Desai Shares Insights into Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan's Fight Scene

Art Director Nitin Desai speaks about how he recreated the beautiful landscapes of Kashmir in Mumbai and the making of the sets for the film's climax

Transcript

00:00 The movie Mission Kashmir, released in the year 2000, was a successful venture at the

00:05 box office and also received critically acclaimed.

00:09 Directed by Vidhu Gunaid Chopra, the film boosted an extravagant star cast, featuring

00:14 actors like Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles.

00:19 Apart from the cast, Vidhu ensured that the sets of the film would be larger than life

00:24 and for this, he created the entire set in Mumbai.

00:28 In a rare interview with Lehre, art director Nitin Desai speaks about how he created the

00:33 beautiful landscape of Kashmir in Mumbai and the making of the sets for the film's climax.

00:39 He says, "We took 25 days to create the entire structure because we are using a new technique

00:47 in the film sets, which is scrapholding.

00:50 That set was difficult and time-taking because half of the set was in the water.

01:02 My assistants went underwater and marked it and 40% of the set was floating in the water."

01:10 Nitin also mentioned that during the fight scene between Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan

01:14 inside a house, mineral water was used, as Vidhu didn't want any compromise and wanted

01:19 the artist to feel comfortable.

01:22 Nitin Desai was a renowned art director in the industry and it is with great sadness

01:27 that we learned of his passing on August 2 due to suicide.

01:31 He had worked on numerous Bollywood and Marathi films including historical epics and period

01:36 dramas.

01:37 Some of his notable works include Lagaan, Jodha Akbar, Devdas, Goliyo Ki Raas Leela,

01:43 Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Panipat, among others.

01:48 His remarkable work was recognized with several awards in the Indian film industry, including

01:53 the National Film Award for Best Art Direction for his work in the Marathi hit film Jogwa.

01:59 In addition to films, he made significant contributions to Indian television, designing

02:03 sets for various historical and mythological TV shows, enhancing the visual appeal.

02:08 Thank you.

02:15 (upbeat music)