Hema Malini's Harmony Home

Actress Hema Malini opens the doors of her Goregaon abode for the first time ever to Life 360°s Marina Pereira

Hema Malini and her gorgeous daughters— Esha and Ahana — occupy a 1,200 sq yard bungalow in Goregaon, which they moved into just three months ago. “Actually none of us wanted to shift here as we were deeply attached to our Juhu home,” says Hema adding “yet attachment isn’t a good thing and one should learn to get detached from material possessions."

Sitting in her capacious drawing room I note a variety of objets d’art: from Chinese figurines and Japanese dolls to brass lanterns and porcelain ballet dancers in different ballet poses; from tall figurines of African statues and paintings to Kashmiri carpets and much, much more. Just as I’m wondering how she managed to do up her home up so quickly she says, “This bungalow was bought by Dharamji and me 15 years ago as our holiday home and done up by interior decorator Neetu Kohli at that time”. It’s hard to believe that most of the artefacts in the house are 15-years-old! However, on a closer scrutiny probably the upholstery could do with a new look.

A few silver-sequined orange cushions and some velvety red ones enhance the beige upholstered sofas. In another corner of the drawing room lies another set of sofas upholstered in brown and green printed fabric and lie just below a stunning photograph of the graceful classical dancer herself in a Bharatnatyam pose and Esha and Ahana in Odissi poses.

I can’t help but flip through a coffee table book Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much by Anne Wilson Schaef while Hema is attending a phone call. “It’s a wonderful book, isn’t it?” says Hema coming back to the interview. “I read this book quite religiously and it helps me cope,” she says matter of factly. It’s sure meant for her considering she juggles many balls at the same time. Passionate about Indian classical dancing especially Bharatnatyam, she not only performs but also promotes young talent; is an active campaigner for one of India’s leading political parties; is a Rajya Sabha MP and is involved with public service initiatives; and is still the same evergreen actress who shoots for weeks at a stretch. And if this isn’t enough she is also planning to get back to direction. Whew! With so much on her plate she needs to unwind, and unwind she does by reading self-motivating books, practising Reiki and doing puja in her special puja room.

I follow her as she takes me on a tour around her home. Just outside the drawing room is a sit-out area with attractive cane furniture where at least 15 people can be accommodated. Descend two or three steps and tall trees with their outstretched branches lend a cool shade to the garden while the soft grass caresses the feet. Adjacent to the drawing room is the dining room, which is currently under renovation. There’s an attached kitchen with all the latest modern gadgets.

On the second level is Hema’s turquoise and pink bedroom. An oversized dressing table sits pretty filled with loads of cosmetics in all shapes and sizes — a mark of a true blue actress! A queen-sized bed occupies pride of place here and sink-in sofas occupy another corner of the room. Outside her bedroom lies a puja room where idols of Radha, Krishna, Laxmi and Durga are all dressed in finery and the devout artiste ensures that she pays obeisance to them twice a day with her prayers and the lighting of incense sticks. The adjacent room is her ‘chai room’ where Hema enjoys her cuppa. On one side is a fridge, microwave and a cabinet full of crockery so that she can snack while watching DVDs or good ol’ television.

Her younger daughter Ahana’s bedroom resembles the 70s show —  complete with posters of Jim Morrison and Bob Marley plastered on the walls. There’s a cloth painting of a giant size, colourful mushroom on her bathroom door which gets highlighted every time she switches on the ultra violet light just above it! “I just fancy the look and feel of this painting on cloth,” says the unassuming Ahana.

On the third level is elder daughter Esha’s bedroom, which is gigantic. The décor is avant-garde and sports contemporary lamps and chandeliers. There’s a huge four-poster bed and a stunningly beautiful lotus pond just outside her French-style sliding windows with colourful small fish adding to the ecosystem. One corner has a walk-in wardrobe while in another there’s a small pantry complete with a microwave, fridge and even a small sink! There’s also a make up room which bursts with colour. The flooring throughout the house is white marble except for the daughter’s rooms which have wooden flooring and Hema’s room sports Italian marble. Ceiling lamps, chandeliers cast their warm glow over the interiors.

Surrounded by greenery, chirping of birds, cool breeze and bright sunshine — the home exudes a peaceful vibe. “It’s almost as if you’re away from the hustle-bustle of Mumbai,” says Hema proudly. There are also animals to complete the picture with Esha and Ahana being avid dog lovers. They have six dogs housed in a kennel. They even have an air-conditioner installed to keep their St Bernard dog (from Moscow) cool!

A believer in a higher consciousness over all things living and non-living, she narrates an anecdote. “I had the menace of ants crawling into my bedroom despite my servant’s efforts to get rid of them but the ants kept coming back. Finally, concentrating hard I started saying in my mind ‘ants this isn’t where you should be, please go away.’ The results were magical: after a week they disappeared and have never come back,” she says gleefully and prods me into trying it out.

Years may have rolled on, but Hema Malini is still the only one who carries the sobriquet Dream Girl. How does it feel after all these years? “It’s been hugely flattering but now it’s time I fulfil my own dreams,” she retorts. Dreams like seeing her two daughters married and successful; many grandchildren playing around the house, more time to enjoy life. We do hope this Dream Girl’s dreams come true.

1) A set of four slim African figurines was picked up by Hema Malini from Africa while she was shooting years ago. “I though it would look nice in my drawing room —  something different,” says Hema of her choice.
For similar African figurines, contact: Satgurus 2204 1066/2204 3658

2) Seen in the photograph is an Anu Naik painting specially commissioned by interior decorator Neetu Kohli for Hema Malini’s drawing room wall. It’s about six feet in height and four feet in width. Rajasthani women painted in vibrant hues make it an attractive canvas that adds more than a splash of colour to its surroundings and livens up the entire space. The tall brass diya stand was bought from Chennai and the ducks made out of marble dust were placed below the painting to complement the richness of the canvas.
A clown in plaster of Paris also sits pretty on the Kashmiri carpet. The Kashmiri carpet was bought from Mehra Carpets at Worli by Neetu 15 years ago.
For similar Kashmiri carpets, contact: Mehra Carpets, Worli 2493 6389/2254
For similar decorative ducks, clowns, contact: Mora Taara 5575 4822

3) This beautiful Radha Krishna embossed work of art was a gift to the actress by ISKCON. Brown in colour each character is etched so intricately that every nuance of their feature comes to life.

4) An impressive five-foot porcelain figurine designed by Neetu Kohli and Hema Malini occupies pride of place in the actress’ drawing room. Many small potted plants got from Ooty encircle the feet of this porcelain lady in an art décor finish. “It’s one of a kind because after it was created the mould was broken by the artisan,” she says.
For similar potted plants, contact: Asiatic: 2287 2816/2287 2815

5) Hema Malini picked up these two vases from an exhibition in Mumbai. One vase has a Chinese couple painted on it whereas the other has a Meera-like lady with a tanpura in her hand. She liked the look of these diverse-looking vases and thought it would add an interesting twist to her drawing room décor. The ballet dancer in porcelain was a copy of a Lladro figurine commissioned by Neetu Kohli, celebrity interior decorator. The base of the glass table is again a copy of a Lladro design and stands on an acrylic base with a glass top. There’s an ornamental silver-rimmed frame got by Hema Malini years back that captures the smiling Dharamji.
For similar vases, contact: Paradox Pink 5688 1818
For Lladro figurines, contact: 2481 3341/42
For similar silver frames, contact: Ravissant, Kemps Corner 2368 4964/35.
For interior décor, contact: Neetu Kohli 2614 0159/8390