Nitin Baid

Nitin Baid is an Indian film editor and director known for his work in Hindi cinema. He has edited films such as Masaan (2015), Trapped (2016), Raazi (2018), Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018), Lust Stories (2018), Gully Boy (2019), Chhapaak (2020), 83 (2021), Sam Bahadur (2023), Kesari Chapter 2 (2023) and Homebound (2025) and streaming series including Ghoul (2018), Bard of Blood (2019), Made in Heaven (2019), Dahaad (2023) and The Ba***ds of Bollywood (2025). Baid made his directorial debut with the short film Chashma (also known as Blind Spot), which premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2024.

Early life and education

Baid was born and raised in Kolkata, India. He initially expected to join his family's business before developing an interest in cinema. He graduated from Christ College, Bengaluru, where he first developed an interest in film editing. His passion for the craft began when a friend invited him to assist on a corporate film project during his college years. This early experience and his exposure to world cinema during these undergraduate studies played a significant role in shaping his interest in storytelling and films.

He applied to several film schools across India with the intention of studying direction, but opted for the editing programme at Whistling Woods International. He later moved to Mumbai and completed a two-year course at Whistling Woods International, a premier film institute, formalizing his training in film editing. Baid has noted that film school provided a strong technical foundation, though professional opportunities still required independent effort.

Career

Early work

Baid began his film career as an assistant editor on Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). The opportunity came after he spent months cold-emailing his showreel and making calls to editors, directors, and production houses in search of work. He was eventually contacted by editor Shweta Venkat, whom he had met on the set of That Girl in Yellow Boots, leading to his selection for the project.

The edit on Gangs of Wasseypur lasted over a year, giving Baid extensive exposure to the demands of large-scale, multi-character storytelling. During this period, he also edited several short films, which helped build his confidence to take on independent projects.

He transitioned to independent editing work, gaining recognition for his editing in films such as Masaan and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero.

Editing career

Baid began his professional editing journey after assisting on Gangs of Wasseypur. He moved into independent editing with Masaan (2015), a project that brought him wider recognition and led to collaborations with filmmakers such as Neeraj Ghaywan and Vikramaditya Motwane.

Baid has described Masaan as a formative experience made by a young team "carried on the shoulders of fresh talent," recalling the sense of innocence and pressure as they worked under their mentors. After returning from the Banaras shoot, the team briefly felt they had "made the worst film on the planet," a fear that he says ultimately pushed them to work harder and trust the process.

Following Masaan, Baid edited films including Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018) and the espionage drama Raazi (2018), where his work contributed to the film's tightly paced structure. Raazi marked his first major commercial venture in terms of scale and budget. Baid received weekly raw footage during the shoot and assembled sequences—including the film's climax—within days of filming. He has noted that the shoot was often chaotic due to the use of multiple cameras, and praised director Meghna Gulzar for her meticulous and decisive approach to editing decisions.

He gained further prominence with Gully Boy (2019), shaping the musical and emotional rhythm of the film as it moved between performance sequences and character-driven scenes. Baid came onboard the film after a scheduling conflict with Zoya Akhtar’s initial editor. The edit involved extensive restructuring, including reordering narrative beats and removing small portions from numerous scenes. He and Akhtar spent three months working abroad solely on the edit. At poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar’s suggestion, certain sequences—such as the protagonist's breakdown during a rap battle—were repositioned to strengthen the dramatic arc. Baid has also noted that the climax was reworked to avoid repetitive "high points," with "The Train Song" ultimately moved to the film's ending.

Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, Baid established ongoing associations with several major directors, working on projects such as The Archies, '83, and Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. He edited Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020), a film noted for its emphasis on a father–daughter relationship within a military setting, and was involved in shaping its combination of emotional and large-scale aviation sequences. His editing during this period ranged from large-scale commercial storytelling to more grounded social dramas.

Baid also edited Kabir Khan’s 83 (2021). He initially declined the project due to scheduling conflicts but later joined after timelines shifted. The majority of the film's edit was completed before the COVID-19 lockdown, and Baid has described the project as a significant historical sports narrative in contemporary Hindi cinema.

In addition to feature films, Baid has been active in the streaming space, editing series including Dahaad, Made in Heaven. He has noted that the rise of OTT platforms has introduced faster post-production timelines and data-driven expectations for audience engagement. Baid's work is often associated with performance shaping, narrative clarity, and adapting to varied directorial styles, making him a frequently sought-after editor in contemporary Hindi cinema.

Directorial debut

In 2024, Baid made his directorial debut with Chashma (Blind Spot), a short film starring Konkona Sen Sharma, Ayan Khan, and Shishir Sharma. The film premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on 22 October 2024 under the Focus South Asia section.

Chashma follows the story of an 11-year-old boy with impaired vision who undergoes a journey of self-acceptance. Baid has stated that the story draws from his own childhood, when he himself struggled with poor eyesight and hesitated to reveal it due to fear of ridicule.

The film is written by Varun Grover and Nitin Baid, it is produced by Gubbara Entertainment. It was widely appreciated at its premiere, with critics and attendees praising its sensitivity and intimate portrayal of childhood experiences.

Baid had expressed an interest in directing for several years and had been developing a short-form project prior to Chashma. His transition into direction has been described as a natural extension of his editorial practice, though he has indicated that he intends to continue working as an editor alongside directing.

Filmography

Film

Television

Short films

Awards and nominations

External links

• at IMDb