During the “In Memoriam” segment of the 96th Academy Awards, famous production director Nitin Desai was honoured. Desai created the sets for hit films like the Oscar-nominated Lagaan and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
In its In Memoriam montage, the Academy Awards honour industry luminaries who have died within the past year on an annual basis.
On August 2, 2023, Desai, 57, was discovered hanging in his studio in Karjat, close to Mumbai.
In addition to the aforementioned films Jodhaa Akbar and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, his artwork also graced the popular television quiz programme Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Throughout his more than three decades-long career, Desai collaborated closely with such renowned filmmakers as Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Ashutosh Gowariker.
The In Memoriam segment commenced with a tribute to the late opposition leader of Russia, Alexei Navalny, who passed away a month ago. The Oscar for best feature documentary was awarded to a documentary about Navalny at the ceremony last year.
For the segment, Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performed a new rendition of his signature single Time to Say Goodbye.
The Oscars honoured, among others, comedian Richard Lewis and singers Tina Turner, Harry Belafonte, and Robbie Robertson, actor Carl Weathers, Lee Sun-Kyun, Matthew Perry, Glenda Jackson, Ryan O’Neal, Michael Gambon, and Julian Sands, and comedian Richard Lewis during the live broadcast.
The 2021 Academy Awards honoured Bhanu Athaiya, an Oscar-winning costume designer, and actor Irrfan Khan in the tributes section. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) official website also made reference to Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput.
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