Nikhil And Bahaar Dhawan Rohatgi - Home Is Where The Art Is

Hello! Visits the lawyer and his artist-activist wife at their lush farmhouse in the capital and discovers a home that is artistic, esoteric and bubbling with ideas

- Sanghita Singh

The duo met in the courtroom opposing each other on a case, but destiny took a turn and soon they were living under the same roof as man and wife. Though Bahaar became a full-time artist soon after marriage, her legal background helped her seamlessly fit into her husband’s family home, which boasts of a robust legal lineage. But, beyond the black and white of their professional lives, it’s colour, art and music that binds them together.

What did it mean for you to set up home after marriage?

Bahaar: “Transitioning from being a lawyer to an artist was an organic curve, which materialised soon after I moved into my new home with my husband and his family. I felt I was rediscovering myself, a new career and a new home and I did it with arms wide open. This reflected in my new home, too. Soon after, we were building our home in the hills. From burning the midnight fuel in my legal office to spending time, now, to source new furniture and furnishings – building a home from scratch brought us closer as the entire family worked together seamlessly. Over the course of four-and-a-half years, we have moved three homes and it has been an incredible and memorable journey of infusing soul into new homes.”

Nikhil: “Setting up a home for us was an extension of the relationship we already shared. It was very smooth, and things fell into place naturally and organically. We have been more like friends, so the transition was smooth. When we tied the knot, I was living in a joint family and we still are. It was a beautiful government bungalow with serene lawns and modern construction. Truth be told, Bahaar and my mother are the ones who furnished the whole space and did an exceptional job! It was a beautiful period to see them bonding over setting up the home.”

How does your home reflect your collective personalities?