Kamalika Guha Thakurta’s beautiful and vibrant house!
Kamalika Guha Thakurta of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame, currently seen in Jhilmil Sitaaron Ka Aangan Hoga is a vibrant colourful personality which reflects in her house as well. At home on a relaxed afternoon with daughter Khushi she shows off how her talent has helped her do up the interiors of the house herself. GR8! Take syou on a ride through her house.
The multi-coloured door and nameplate outside Kamalika Guha Thakurta’s house suggests just how colourful the house inside would be. It starts from the display of wild flowers outside the entrance to her two flats combined into one. “I bought these flowers from a roadside vendor while Meera a designer friend has painted these doors. I wanted something different and unusual so I thought of making it very colourful” informs Kamalika.
A compact two bedroom house the entire interiors was taken care of by Kamalika herself, “We shifted here in the year 2002 just before my daughter Khushi was born and I never hired a designer for our home, so you will find a Rajasthani handicraft picked up from Delhi or a mask from Nepal all handpicked by me and my husband Rajnish during our various trips. We both felt that the house should not resemble a set and look too perfect rather it should look well lived in.”
The walls in the living room are a combination of the colours white and orange holding two huge wrought iron wall hangings, “I picked both these from a village in the interiors of Kolkata and it is like dhokra work. This one is basically a depiction of rural life while the other one are instruments that Goddess Kali carries in her hands so there is the lotus, charka, sphere and kharga”, informs Kamalika.
In a corner of the living room is a shelf holding bottles of famous liquor brands, “I don’t drink, and Rajnish is just a social drinker but we have this collection thanks to all those who have gifted us these bottles over the years making it a well stocked bar. It is more for our visitors than for us” laughs Kamalika.
The living room also has Kamalika’s favourite corner in the house, “This is my cosy corner in the house and you will often find me sitting here enjoying the breeze and the greenery around. There is a jogging track in front of my house so we have a guarantee that this greenery won’t ever go away.”
The colourful pooja mandir in the master bedroom is taken care of by Kamalika who says, “We worship Maa Durga and we use the hibiscus flower for pooja. I am lucky that we have the hibiscus plant in the nearby gardens from where we pluck the buds and keep them overnight in water for blooming.”
Just outside the kitchen (the door of which is painted by a friend who was guided by Kamalika) is a stand with various candles and a small diya burning bright, “I believe that lighting a diya removes negative energy and instils positive energy in the house so I light this diya and the one at the pooja mandir daily without fail before going to work. I feel that your house should have good vibrations and that is the reason I always have fresh flowers in the house.”
Kitchen is not Kamalika’s domain but being the ever sweet hostess she makes sherbet for us. “I don’t have a knack for cooking as before marriage when I was in Kolkata we had a cook at home and after I came to Mumbai I always had help. I am not a hands-on cook but I tell my maid what to cook and supervise the meals.”
The second bedroom in the house is colourfully decorated for Kamalika’s daughter Khushi who is prancing around happy that her mom is home today. It is bonding time for mother and daughter who enjoy playing games and singing songs in this room.