Nitin Desai death: Art director’s daughter says he had ‘no intention to fraud anyone’; Loan

Content Warning: This article contains references to suicide.

Art director and producer Nitin Desai passed away last week just days before his 58th birthday. He was unfortunately found dead by suicide at his ND Studios in Karjat and his last rites took place on Friday. Apart from Desai’s wife and children, his film industry friends like Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and others were present. Earlier, it was reported that Desai had failed to repay a huge loan and was under extreme financial stress. Now, Desai’s daughter Mansi has addressed these reports and clarified that her father never had any intention to cheat anyone. She also revealed details about the loan he borrowed.

Nitin Desai’s daughter Mansi reveals details about the financial loan

Mansi disclosed to ANI that her father had taken out a loan of Rs 181 crore, out of which he had paid back Rs 86.31 to the company. She stated that he was going to make the full payment and never desired to fraud anyone. She said, “He was going to make all the payments that he promised. They (lenders) also demanded a six-month interest in advance which my father provided by selling his Powai office. He had no intention to fraud anyone and he was going to make all payments that he had promised.”

Mansi claims the loan company gave ‘false assurances’ to her father Nitin Desai

Mansi also revealed that her father’s business was affected because of the Covid-19 pandemic and he was unable to make repayments in time. She claimed that Desai tried to negotiate with the loan company but they misled him and concurrently began legal action. “Due to the pandemic, the industry was affected, there was no work and the studio was closed. He could not make regular payments and there were some delays. Even after that, he repeatedly made attempts to meet with the company to negotiate with them for restructuring or some kind of leeway so he could still finish paying what he owed. The company gave him false assurances and started legal proceedings on the side,” she said.

Mansi Desai has also appealed to the government of Maharashtra to look into this matter and take charge of her father’s business, ND Studios. She has requested justice for him.

Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, anxiety, going through depression, or is suffering from a serious mental illness, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help.​