‘I literally keep calling it my nest’: Inside the Mumbai home of actor Sanjana Sanghi

From a vintage shoe cabinet to a bowl for keys (a must for someone who often locks herself out), her space is smart and soulful. A mirror by the door? Of course — she jokes: “Actors, we’re narcissists… we love looking at ourselves!”

The entrance holds a photo of her dog Snoop, still in Delhi with her parents, and a framed picture from a family trip to Italy, alongside a woodcraft piece she made as a child.

Sanjana didn’t rush the décor. She curated slowly, collecting things that felt right, like a letter from her dream college, Lady Shri Ram.

“’Jab main ‘Dil Bechaara‘ ki prep kar rahi thi, college graduate karne ke ek saal baad….My dad called to tell me. I had no idea I was the gold medallist for all of Delhi University… Even the envelope is framed!”

Among the walls is a fan sketch from Dil Bechara, her breakout film with Sushant Singh Rajput. “It was gifted on the anniversary… I got it framed immediately. It had to go up.”

She’s also kept little souvenirs from sets, each project leaves a trace.

Her compact kitchen is where comfort lives: “I do a very good poha. Chai and poha — it’s a lot of fun!” And like any self-proclaimed Gujju, her mom’s green chilli achar travels with her: “Without it, my life does not go forward.”

From DIY glass jar lights to a Rockstar poster and symbolic line art from her filmmaker friend Sameer, every piece tells a story: “That little figure is me. It’s a reminder that I thrive in chaos.”

Her window ledge is home to plants (thanks to her floriculturist mom) and even birds who’ve made their nests there. “Tiny birds building their own nests in my nest, it feels like they like the energy here.” It’s where she starts her mornings, tea in hand.

For Sanjana, home is built by the people who love her: “Everyone closest to me feels like this is their home too.”

Right by the door, a Ganpati painting she made at age six reminds her of those early creative beginnings.