02 August,2023 04:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Nitin Desai (L); Akshay Kumar in the `OMG 2` poster (R)
The sudden demise of esteemed art director and production designer Nitin Desai has sent shockwaves through the film industry and audiences. Notable Bollywood celebrities, many of whom have had the privilege of working with Desai in the past, have expressed their sorrow and extended their condolences via various social media platforms. Among them is superstar Akshay Kumar, who mourned Desai's loss and announced his decision to postpone the trailer launch of his upcoming film, 'OMG 2' out of respect for Desai's memory.
On Wednesday, August 2, Akshay Kumar took to Twitter to share his grief over Desai's passing and to announce the postponement of the 'OMG 2' trailer. Originally slated to drop today, the trailer, featuring Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi, will now be unveiled tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. as a mark of respect for the late Desai.
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In his Twitter post, Akshay wrote, "Unbelievably sad to know about the demise of Nitin Desai. He was a stalwart in production design and such a big part of our cinema fraternity. He worked on so many of my films⦠this is a huge loss. Out of respect, we are not releasing the OMG 2 trailer today. Will launch it tomorrow at 11am. Om Shanti."
Nitin Desai's death was reported in the morning of the same day, with news stating that he was found hanging at his ND Studios in Karjat. The police were informed about the tragic incident by the studio workers. Maharashtra MLA Mahesh Baldi attributed the cause of Desai's suicide to financial stress. Over his illustrious career, Desai had collaborated with renowned film directors such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar, and Rajkumar Hirani. Numerous industry figures have expressed their deep grief over his sudden death.
The makers of 'OMG 2' received cuts from the censor board a mere 10 days before the release of the film. However, on July 31 the film was passed with a A certificate. Because of delay in censor certificate, the makers were unable to unveil the trailer of the film.
The 'OMG 2' team has so far, released a teaser and the first song from the film. The teaser offers a glimpse of Akshay Kumar, portraying Lord Shiva, coming to the aid of his devotee, played by Pankaj Tripathi, who finds himself entangled in a legal issue. The first song, titled 'Har Har Mahadev', features a spirited performance by Akshay Kumar, decked out as Lord Shiva amidst a crowd of devotees. Yami Gautam, who plays a lawyer in the film, has also had her character poster released.
However, 'OMG 2' will face stiff competition at the box office as it clashes with Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel's 'Gadar 2'. The promotional campaign for 'Gadar 2' is already in full swing, and advance bookings for the film have opened, setting the stage for an interesting face-off at the box office.
