Sumeet Raghavan, who has been a part of films and television shows since 1987, recently opened the doors to his Mumbai home and spoke about the city’s notorious space crunch. The Sarabhai vs Sarabhai actor revealed that he combined two flats to create his current home, while also sharing that in Mumbai, even a small amount of space comes at a premium. Speaking in a recent interview, he shared how Mumbaikars have to make do with tiny balconies, as even a small space “just enough to place your feet” can cost up to Rs 1 lakh.

Speaking about his house, Raghavan told Mashable India, “This is two flats. I joined a 2BHK and a 1BHK to make this space.”

The living area.

Raghavan has given his home a simple yet aesthetic look, with the walls predominantly painted in shades of beige and green. A terracotta-coloured sofa adds a pop of colour to the living room, complemented by white printed cushions. The living room is spacious enough to accommodate a six-seater sofa, with one corner dedicated to the actor’s awards.

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Sumeet’s family has a special space for Constitution of India.

Another wall, which also displays his awards, gives centre stage to a copy of the Constitution of India.

“My family and I strongly believe that it is important to keep the Constitution of your country in your house, as it plays a key role in running a country,” he said.

His home also has a special place dedicated to Dr BR Ambedkar, who chaired the drafting committee of the Constitution.

Dining room.

Next to the living room is the dining area, with a small temple tucked into one corner. The dining space is painted light green, while the temple sits against an adjacent white wall. The wall opposite it is finished entirely in wood, creating a striking contrast.

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Raghavan revealed that his parents live in the same building and that the extended family often gathers at his home for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Area opposite dining room.

The house was designed by his wife Chinmayee’s brother, Vijay Munshi. “He is the one who has designed all of our houses,” Raghavan said.

Pointing towards the small temple, he added, “We are very spiritual people. We believe in celebrating every festival.”

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Sumeet dedicated a small corner for temple area.

Just beyond the dining area is the kitchen. Like many families, the Raghavans also keep a Hindu calendar at home, complete with tithis and important dates.

Giving a tour of his modular kitchen, which is neatly organised, Raghavan revealed that he spends a considerable amount of time there because he loves cooking.

Sumeet Raghavan enjoys cooking.

“I spend a lot of time here because I love cooking. Whenever I am not working, my kids expect me to cook something special. I often keep taking cooking classes to learn newer things,” he said.

The two flats are connected by a corridor decorated with paintings and plants, with the walls painted in a soothing light green shade.

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The second kitchen is converted into a music room.

The house also has a dedicated music room where Raghavan occasionally practises singing while playing the harmonium. However, the room is used more frequently by his son Neerad, who is a professional music director.

Interestingly, the music room was originally the kitchen of the second flat. It has now been transformed into a space housing a piano, ukulele, guitar, harmonium and several other instruments.

A frame created in Rick’s memory.

The room also has a framed tribute to the family’s late pet, featuring a photograph and paw prints.

It is here that Raghavan explained how the two flats have been divided. “My house is two flats. Where you saw the dining table and all is a 1BHK, and the one where we have the music room is a 2BHK,” he said.

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The master bedroom.

The next stop on the tour was the master bedroom. Though not particularly large, a large mirror fixed against one wall creates an illusion of a more spacious room. The bedroom has a bed and opens into a tiny, cosy balcony that can accommodate two chairs, a small table and a few plants — perfect for evening tea.

The wall that adds drama to the master bedroom.

The room features subtle colours, with one yellow wall adding a pop of drama.

Pointing towards the balcony, Raghavan said, “For us Mumbaikars, this is our garden. People who come from Delhi and the North often show off about the huge space they own back home. However, for us, this is all we have. And we have to find peace in the same.”

Master bedroom opens to this balcony.

He added, “There is so much shortage of space here that just to find a space to place your feet also costs Rs 1 lakh. It is very costly.”

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The balcony has several plants, including one dedicated to their cat Rick, whom the family lost in 2023. “His ashes are in this plant. Whenever this plant flowers, its smell reminds us of our pet,” he revealed.

The bedroom also has a shelf dedicated to books. “My wife is a voracious reader,” Raghavan said.

The kids’ room.

The children’s bedroom, too, makes efficient use of limited space, with just enough room for a bed, study table and bookshelf. The room also has its own private balcony.

Raghavan said the availability of balconies in every room was one of the reasons he chose the home.

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“I chose this home mostly because each room has a balcony. It is tiny but enough for two people to stand. Some convert these balconies into extended rooms, but we preferred to keep it as it is,” he said.

The children’s room features a brown wall paired with white printed curtains, creating another contrasting look.

Raghavan, who spoke fondly about his pets during the tour, revealed that he was initially against having them at home until 2018.

“One day, my wife adopted a kitten. Since then, we have adopted about five pets,” he said.

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Towards the end of the tour, Raghavan also explained what having a home means to him. He said that while many young people today view buying a house as a poor investment compared to other avenues of generating passive income, he remains deeply sentimental about having a home.

“Kids today think of buying a house and marriage as a dead investment. They are mostly like, why waste so much money in buying houses when we can invest it somewhere and have a passive source of income? But for me, a house is very important. As an actor, you keep travelling, and homesickness is too often. We miss our bed, our corner, our house. I think we are the last generation to be so sentimental about their homes or want to have their own home,” he said.