‘I started with a one-room kitchen apartment': Inside Sunil Grover aka Gutthi's home that overlooks the Mumbai skyline
'This is the living room. I eat here. I sit there.' Nothing fancy, just warm-toned sofas, a hand‑painted wall with a 'tree that never needs watering,' and wide windows that look out over the city. Sunil likes the spot because he 'feels like a king sometimes' as he sits there.
His wife Aarti chose big glass panels so you can see the view while stirring the pot. 'I like cooking food a lot, but whatever I cook, people don't like eating,' he laughs. Moroccan‑style tiles and a west‑facing window keep the space bright and cool.
Sunil started out in a tiny rented place. 'I started with a one-room kitchen apartment, and it was a rented apartment. I was equally happy when I was living in a rented apartment. Doesn't matter how many bedrooms or the carpet‑area that you have. You should be happy.' Bit by bit, he added rooms until he could finally own this house in Mumbai.
Upstairs is a nook lined with shelves. One favourite: Yatha‑Sambhav by Sharad Joshi, 'a book full of satirical essays. You must read it.' Next door sits the cosy TV room, soundproofed in memory of his old voice‑over days.
'What I love the most about this house is the doors, the way Aarti's made it. The way the carving has been done,' he added.
Aarti joins the tour: 'It has to be heart pleasing, eye pleasing… We go everywhere… but whenever we are back home, we feel, 'Wow, this is our home.''
She talks about the cross‑ventilation, the morning sun, and sofas 'non‑attention‑seeking' except for one bold geometric piece that pops against the neutral palette.
Together, they've built a space not for show, but for joy. 'We made this house to please ourselves. We never kind of tried to impress anyone,' she said.
Whether it's basking in the morning sunlight, flipping through scripts, or just sitting on the couch enjoying the view, Grover sums it up best: 'Happiness comes from just having a home, whatever size it may be.'
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