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“Art collector. Art connoisseur”: These are the words used by Maheep Kapoor to describe Shalini Passi, the newest addition to her Netflix reality show Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. Though Maheep’s tone may have carried a hint of derision, she couldn’t have summed up the grande dame of Delhi’s art scene more accurately.
Art permeates every corner of Sanjay and Shalini Passi’s palatial Delhi home. Located in the uber-expensive and exclusive Golf Links neighbourhood of the national capital, this architectural masterpiece could give many museums a run for their money. It is also a fitting abode for a woman representing the “fabulous lives” of Delhi for the world to see on Netflix.
Inside Shalini Passi’s palatial Delhi home
First is the shape of the house itself, distinctly different from the stolid but predictable rectangles that dominate the skyline of every modern city. The Architectural Digest described it as a “sweeping curve of a home” in a 2017 piece – a gentle boomerang that overlooks a manicured lawn.
But in pictures of the house, the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the towering Buddha head that dominates the lawn – a 25-foot sculpture by renowned artist Subodh Gupta.
In an interview with Larry’s List, Shalini described the Buddha sculpture as one of her top 3 most-treasured artworks. The “Four Bindi panels” by Bharti Kher is another, while her third treasure is Germination by SH Raza.
SH Raza’s acrylic on canvas creation has been spotted in photographs shared by Shalini on Instagram.
In fact, her entire Instagram account is an ode to art. Sculptures, paintings, installations, even the furniture in the house are works of art, chosen carefully and lovingly by the socialite.
“I’m an artist”
“I’m an artist and always had an eye for art, for meaningful objects,” Shalini Passi told Architectural Digest. “If I see something beautiful or interesting, I make a note of it, I research it endlessly. I go to museums, scour antique shops, look at fabric, feel the textures of stone, and seek the provenance, and the beauty of an object. One should have an eye for refinement.” This claim of being an artist is something that Shalini Passi also repeated on her Netflix reality show.
Shalini and Sanjay Passi, the chairman of Pasco Group, began collecting art more than 20 years ago. Today, her collection is a blend of Indian Modern and Contemporary works. She describes it as an “eclectic but very personal collection.”
In one room, you may find thick Persian carpets, another may transport you to an English cottage.
“Amongst my collection, you will find Indian Modern and Contemporary works, an Ado Chale table, then from the 18th century: a Flemish cabinet, an Andre-Charles Boulle table, a pair of Dutch flower paintings, through to more contemporary pieces, such as an Hervé van der Straeten’s “Passage Console”, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst,” Shalini Passi told Larry’s List.
A look at her Jeff Koons porcelain Puppy vases below:
The curving corridor in Shalini Passi’s house has served as the backdrop for many of her photographs. It is also the place where some of her most valued artwork is put on display.
However, the brass mirror frames lining the corridor were designed by Shalini herself.
In the garden, a bamboo grove has similarly served as the backdrop for more photographs. For Shalini, the bamboo stands for “strength, flexibility, and health” – virtues that she hopes to embody.
Art meets luxury
Art meets luxury at the Passi abode, home to Sanjay, Shalini and their son Robin Passi.
Spread over 20,000 square feet, the house has 14 rooms. All of them are vastu compliant. In fact, Shalini saw 20 other houses before deciding on this one.
“People ask me what I like the most about this house, or which are my favourite works of art, and I always say it depends on the season and how I feel,” she says.
