Tucked away in a nook of Mumbai’s ever-buzzing panorama, actor Rajeev Khandelwal’s triplex house is a tranquil retreat. With birdsong within the morning, sprawling rooms, a terrace backyard, and even a speakeasy-style lounge, his dwelling effortlessly defies town’s cramped status.And in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to be invited in, just like the Brut India crew that acquired an unique tour, you’ll perceive why he calls it his “humble abode” with unmistakable pleasure.
“I’m very possessive about my little house,” Rajeev admits proper off the bat.
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As you enter the actor’s dwelling, the very first thing that strikes you is the house. “Most homes are very crowded in Mumbai. Right here, we’ve got loads of house to ourselves,” he explains. Coming from a small city, he at all times craved room to breathe, and his dwelling displays that aspiration.
What was as soon as a non-negotiable dream has turn into a tangible actuality: “Once we acquired maintain of this property, we stated okay, let’s not compromise on the house half. Let’s hold it massive.”
And large it’s, every of the three ranges has its personal persona, perform, and reminiscence.
Within the glossy, open kitchen, full with a elaborate island sink, Rajeev shares a peek into his food plan. Breakfast often contains sourdough, olives, and eggs (“That’s fundamental, not fancy,” he insists), whereas lunch is predominantly Indian and infrequently contains greens picked recent from their terrace kitchen backyard.Story continues under this advert
“It’ll be some sprouted dal or some vegetable from the little kitchen backyard we’ve got on the terrace.”
Whereas he has left behind his early years of surviving on samosas and Bombay sandwiches, he admits that these avenue staples had been as soon as a mainstay.
Shifting upstairs, the second flooring affords what Rajeev calls the “essential” house: the bed room. This serene retreat is bathed in pure gentle and surrounded by greenery, a uncommon discover in Mumbai.
“If you get up, you hear birds chirping outdoors… it simply offers you a sense that you just’re not in Bombay. That is one thing I at all times needed,” the actor stated.Story continues under this advert
A book-lined wall provides to the room’s persona. As soon as a prop for showing “severe” throughout bachelor days, the gathering now genuinely displays his curiosity in literature. Even so, he jokes, “Let’s not speak about that wall, that’s a little bit of narcissism,” pointing to his vainness wall that shows framed pictures and medals.
Two medals take pleasure of place on that wall. One represents a deeply private achievement: finishing the Bombay Half Marathon in beneath two hours post-ACL surgical procedure: “I needed to show to myself that I used to be high-quality. Not simply end the race, however end it nicely.”
He clocked in at 1 hour and 52 minutes. Later that very same 12 months, he tried the identical feat in Ladakh however completed simply over two hours, an accomplishment nonetheless worthy of applause.
Descending to the bottom degree seems like coming into a distinct universe. There’s a full-blown lounge with a bar, paying homage to a speakeasy. “That is the social gathering space,” he grins.Story continues under this advert
And sitting handsomely in a single nook? A grand piano. “It was at all times a dream to personal a piano. However in Bombay, even in the event you can personal one, you want the house. You’d must sleep on it,” Rajeev joked,
Music has at all times been a part of his life, and the piano stands as an emblem of aspirations fulfilled, each creative and spatial.
