Where The Heart Is

Actor Ira Dubey says that the best thing about having wrapped up her first television show, a table for two, is that she gets to unwind at her seaside family holiday home in Goa. Bhg caught up with her as she took a break at this beautiful Portuguese Villa.

It’s a bright, breezy day in Goa. Actor Ira Dubey, who I am speaking to over the phone, tells me so. In the background, I can hear the wind swooshing, punctuated faintly by the sound of waves. Ira is at her airy, family holiday home, a beautiful villa in Siolim, North Goa, which looks out to the sea on one side and swathes of greenery on the other. She’s been on her feet the whole day, shooting for this feature, but talking to her, you’d never guess—she sounds completely relaxed and refreshed. It’s possibly the effect of where she is. “This is my home away from home, and is extremely dear to me. I like to come here whenever possible—at least once in a couple of months. Thank God, Mumbai is so close by.” The house stands majestically against the clear blue of the sky, its vivid yellow outer walls embodying the spirit of the state. A combination of Portuguese and contemporary design styles, it is full of little details that make it special. These include bright Portuguese handmade tiles, a thatched roof and high ceilings, vintage lights and hand-painted stained glass, to name a few. “This home has an old-world charm. There are pops of intense colours in the form of interior designer Andrew Martin’s red couches; art on walls and on the doors—both pop and classical, picked up from Thailand and other countries —and of course, since it’s by the sea, there are spectacular views,” says Ira.