M.F. Husain artworks shape Madhuri Dixit’s Mumbai apartment

M.F. Husain’s Ganesha artworks are displayed in the foyer of Madhuri Dixit and Dr Shriram Nene’s 5,500 sq ft apartment on the 53rd floor of a Mumbai high-rise. The sea-facing home looks out over the Arabian Sea and the city skyline.

Architect Apoorva Shroff designed the residence with straight lines, clean forms and a restrained colour palette. Dixit has described the interiors as “uncluttered”, with selected furniture and lighting set against largely neutral surfaces.

Husain’s paintings bring colour to the rooms. The artist, who shared a close bond with Dixit, made several works exclusively for her. Dixit said Husain had once proposed painting the walls of her home. She declined because the family might move, and he made paintings for her instead. “I just love the colours he used; it pops out,” she said.

The apartment includes a projector and speakers for viewing films, as well as a music room with guitars, drums and a piano. It also has an automated Valcucine bar and a kitchen that serves as a shared family space. Nene calls the kitchen “the bones of the house”.

Nene, who describes himself as a technophile, was involved in the lighting plan. The home uses Delta Light fixtures and automation while maintaining the pared-back design.

Dixit spent more than a decade in the US with Nene and their children before returning to India. “I've always wanted a family,” she said. “That was my dream: to have a husband, kids, and a house where you feel comfortable, cosy and loved.”