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Rediff.com  » Movies » When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom
This article was first published 12 years ago

When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom

Last updated on: August 9, 2011 20:52 IST

Image: Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Amitabh Bachchan
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar Patcy N in Mumbai

The venue was the launch of a book on ace art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai's 25 years to Indian cinema Adhunik Yugacha Vishwakarma. The book was unveiled by none other than suprestar Amitabh Bachchan, who publicly expressed that whenever he bows down in front of the idols of gods and goddesses, sculpted by Desai, kept in his office, he feels he is bowing down in front of the artiste.

Big B's adulation of Desai's work didn't end there. The humble person that he is, Amitabh touched the feet of Desai's mom just after both the son and mother touched his feet.

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When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom

Image: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan, Nitin Desai's mom and Nitin Desai

Recalling an incident, Bachchan spoke about the time when he was invited to inaugurate Nitin Desai's studio -- ND Studios -- in Karjat.

At the studio entrance, Desai had built a huge temple with beautifully-sculpted idols of deities. 

Big B loved them and enquired about where he had sourced them from. The actor was floored when he came to know that Desai himself had sculpted them.

When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom

Image: Big B launches the book with Nitin Desai

Next day, Desai made the temple and gifted it to Big B. Those statues are kept in his office in Juhu, Andheri.

Every morning at 5 am, before starting his exercise, Bachchan bows before all the deities, and in a way bows his head in front of Nitin Desai and his art.

The four time National award winning art director has the credit of designing the sets of films like Parinda (1989), 1942-A Love Story (1993), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2002), Lagaan (2002), Devdas (2002), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003), Lage Raho Munna Bhai, (2006), Harishchandrachi Factory (2009) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (2010), under his belt.



When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom

Image: Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan
Vidhu Vinod Chopra also recalled meeting Nitin Desai first time on the sets of Parinda, when he was shooting the climax scene.

When Big B touched the feet of Nitin Desai's mom

Image: Nitin Desai and his wife
The others who were present on the occasion were Manmohan Shetty, Ketan Mehta, art director and Desai's teacher Nitish Roy and Uddhav Thackeray.

Makrand Deshpande and Mrinal Kulkarni read the extract from the book.