BACHELORS' PARADISE ABHAY DEOL

WHETHER IT’S THE FILMS HE SIGNS OR HIS HOME DESIGN, IT’S ALL ABOUT DISCERNING AESTHETICS FOR THIS DEOL BROTHER. THE ACTOR TAKES HELLO! ON A TOUR OF HIS STUNNING ASSAGAO HOME THAT BRINGS THE FOREST INDOORS

- NAYARE ALI

There are various sayings about living in a glass house, but none of them quite fit Abhay Deol, an actor who quite literally lives in one. And while he may not be an entirely open book, he graciously welcomes HELLO! into his stunning North Goa home. He's even considering opening it up to the artistic community he holds dear. "I want to establish a centre for the arts and culture here and build a community around it," he says, animatedly.

Dressed casually, Abhay exudes a serene and relaxed aura, perfectly mirroring the vibe of his home. The astute actor, who has skillfully balanced a life between two continents while maintaining his acting career, regarded Goa as a second home long before it became inundated with foreign visitors, beach-loving Indians and digital nomads. In 2010, he bought a 2,800sqmt plot in Assagao, located towards the edge of the residential area, ensuring his forthcoming home would blend into the nearby forested area.

A visitor to the locale for nearly two decades, he had a clear blueprint in mind, and the property, popularly christened as ‘The Glass House,’ was envisioned precisely as he had imagined. “I was clear that I wanted glass doors and no windows; I wanted to bring the forest’s ambiance indoors,” Abhay says. The actor, who was once a student at Otis College of Art and Design, provided the architect with a highly detailed brief. “Squares, rectangles and straight lines in every room. Each room should have a private space.”