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 BIG
ND Studio - “Where
dreams come true” and
Desai stresses, “Bring
your ideas and we will give them wings.” BIG
ND STUDIO is like a one-stop mall for movie makers.
A verdant world amidst nature’s landscape, just 90 minutes away from Mumbai,
Karjat exemplifies the scenic beauty of the Deccan plateau between Mumbai & Pune.
Mr. Nitin Chandrakant Desai saw much more in one conglomeration of valleys,
mountains & vegetation, he envisioned a huge studio complex – “ND Studios”.
Desai studied Universal Studio in Los Angeles, Disney World, Pinewood Studios in
UK, Bavaria Studio in Germany and then drew out the plan of a dream studio - N D
Studios!
 Mr.
Desai searched for an appropriate plot of land and when he sighted the 46 acres
in Karjat,“It
was love at first sight,” he
admits.
Set on outskirts of Mumbai at Karjat, the sprawling ND studios owned and
promoted by ace art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai, has attracted the
attention of Hollywood studios as well.
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Spread over 40 acres in Karjat, ND Studio was
rechristened Big ND Studios after Reliance acquired 50 per cent stake in it.
Since the acquisition, Desai continues to manage while Reliance Entertainment
is focusing on scaling up the studio.
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The long-term goal
is to make it the biggest studio in the world on the lines of Universal
Studios in Hollywood.
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His connection
with Reliance - Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group collaboration has given a big
fillip to Desai’s expansion plans - Big N D Studios is set to acquire an
additional 228 acres.
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The extension
plans will accommodate 12 sound stages, SFX facility, post lproduction
studios, processing labs & preview theatres.
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Studio will be
upgraded significantly to cater to Bollywood and Hollywood needs.
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Leading the pack
is 20th Century Fox, which has plans to shoot its television serial at ND
studios.
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ND studios is also
in talks with Walt Disney studio for shooting of the latter's film on ancient,
present and futuristic India
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Besides this,
French film company Gaumount is also going to shoot its upcoming movie Templar
at ND studios after monsoon.
AIM of BIG ND Studio:
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ND Design, ND
Construction & ND Studio all under one roof
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Make available Production Infrastructure
& Production design services for Motion Pictures, TV Content, Advertising
films & Other AV Content
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The business essentially entails
Infrastructure hire & Creative Services related to above verticals
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Physical Infrastructures – Shooting
Floors – AC Sound stages, Set Construction Services, Exterior Locations,
Props, Equipments, Post-Production, Lab, Special Effects Studio, Production
Support Services (costumes, Accommodation, Transportation, Catering)
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Creative Infrastructure – Production
Design, Consulting Services, Special Events (design & set)
Milestone
 Journey
began in a 10 by 10 chawl room in a joint family at Worli, in downtown who later
moved to the far-flung suburb Mulund.
Desai’s earliest brush with the artistic world
dates back to school vacations in his native place Dapoli in Konkan, “I would
venture into the woods and find branches and twigs and shape those into various
playthings like gulli-danda and swords,” he reminisces happily, “Nature is my
biggest inspiration,” he adds.
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Desai’s father loaned him a princely sum of Rs 2.5 lakhs to launch his own
photo color lab.
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Business was good
but Desai yearned for bigger goals.
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His Mami (maternal
aunt) who is a Bengali empathized with his creative ambitions and urged him to
join films.
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She introduced him
to noted art director Nitish Roy who commissioned Desai to develop some
under-exposed rolls, “He was so impressed with the results that he asked me to
join him,” he relates.
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It was on May 9,
1986 (he recalls the date very fondly) that Desai set his first foot on a film
set where Govind Nihalani’s tele-serial Tamas was being shot.
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“I worked there
for 13 days and nights recreating Punjab at Film City, I was so mesmerized by
the three-dimensional world of the sets that I even forgot to inform my mother
about my new job,” he laughs
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Chandraprakash
Dwivedi’s epic tele-serial Chanakya was Desai’s first independent assignment.
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The turning point
of his career remains Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942 - A Love Story. One town
square set cost Rs 60 lakhs back in 1993, “Everybody advised Vinod against the
set but he asked me if I was confident and I said 200%! The film won me
accolades and awards galore.”
He hasn’t looked
back ever since – carpentry, fabrications, plastering, coloring, aging the sets
(by adding broken pipes and peeling paint etc) and then adding property to the
sets became the essence of his being. It’s been 23 glorious years of art
direction for him now!
Facilities
 BIG
ND STUDIO marks
the advent of sound stage shooting of International standards in India. The
studio floors have sync sound facility. The floor forms the longest studio floor
in Asia (40 feet height).
 The
studio is well equipped with innovatively designed overhead catwalks for
comfortable working providing total lighting flexibility. The studio offers
access to lakes, mountains & sets resembling Mumbai & to that matter many
European locations.
The studio boasts of A – Z facilities required for Film Making. It has got a
huge spectrum of facilities available & possible in the industry.
Right
from script reading, to set designing & post production activities, BIG ND
STUDIO has an expertise to handle mega projects to its best capacity.
Facilities at a glance:
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Two sound-proof air-conditioned
floors
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Permanent sets of 1600 feet of Bombay town square
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Red Fort and Jaipur Fort
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Corporate office block
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Make-up rooms, chalets and accommodation
for the stars and crew.
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Prop Room wherein artifacts that have
been used in set designing till date have been stored.
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Corporate floor where parties can
discuss about the project
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Helipad
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Luxurious rooms
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Lab
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Transportation
Mission & Vission
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Preferred studio
destination in the world on par with Hollywood for creation of Indian and
International entertainment content.
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To make world’s biggest studio and work
with best director, producer, technicians in India & internationally.
Contact
Detail -
BIG ND Studio
Chawk Phata, karjat road,
Khalapur, Dist Raigad,
Maharashtra, India
Tel:
00 91 2192 273354 Fax:
00 91 2192 273403
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Tour
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