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Journalism of Courage
Step into Sania Mirza’s home in Hyderabad, and you’ll be struck by how warm, lived-in, and utterly reflective it is of the tennis icon’s persona. When the Brut India crew visited her for a candid house tour, joined by her sister Anam Mirza, the duo welcomed them with easy banter and stories that laced their house with meaning.
She and Anam have lived in the house since around 2010. “We were making it for a long time actually—budget issues at that point. So slowly, slowly we did it.” It’s technically their parents’ house, but the emotional architecture is familial. “It’s their baby. My dad’s a builder, so he designed and made it all by himself.”
The entrance holds a striking painting of galloping horses. “This is my mom. Basically, all the paintings in the house are hers… Apparently, running horses in the house is good energy.” The walls and furniture are dotted with eclectic touches from around the world. “This is actually from Uzbekistan. Everywhere we used to go, we’d pick up small things.”
There’s a sense of organised chaos, home as a canvas for movement and life. “We don’t play chess, but every time we have guests, they end up starting to play,” laughs Anam, pointing to the board.
The sisters’ dynamic is electric. “She didn’t go to school that much, I went all the time,” quips Anam, as they reminisce about their days at Hyderabad’s famed Nasr School. “Any girl from Nasr has a chip on her shoulder,” they agree in unison.
Fashion, of course, makes a solid appearance, especially in Sania’s now-converted office and wardrobe space. “This was built for other reasons but eventually turned into my office,” she says. “It has all my Indian wear and the heavy stuff I don’t wear daily.” Anam, a stylist and entrepreneur, admits she’s the one with the real shoe obsession. “My husband was complaining I bought 20 shoes this year,” she laughs.
But nothing tops the pride Sania takes in being a mother. Her son Izhaan has his own Instagram account with over 100,000 followers. “He makes more money than I do—and he’s three,” Sania jokes, before explaining how the idea for the verified account came about: “I went on Instagram and saw 10 fan pages for a boy who was just born. It freaked me out.”
As for parenting? “He’s pampered. There has to be one strict person, and that’s me,” says Sania. Anam, the indulgent aunt, chimes in: “I do all the nice things, but the second Sania appears, he forgets me.”
The home isn’t all indoor beauty, it opens out into a backyard with a full tennis court. “We even have a tennis academy here, S.M.A.R.A. Tennis Academy. Kids under 7 come and play.” Though she confesses, “More parties than tennis happen here.”
Whether it’s a stash of Hajmola ordered “in 1 kilo,” a closet full of saris and sneakers, or that Hyderabadi way of saying “Li lagra” instead of “Your outfit is lit,” Sania’s home is as lively and layered as the woman herself.
