THE ENDURING UNIVERSE OF RASEEL GUJRAL
Never to be swayed by jazzy jargons or dichotomous definitions, she has channeled her creativity around intention, consciousness and experience always. In this interaction with MOSAIC, the fêted architect, interior and spatial designer breaks down how festive
traditions must adapt to as well as evolve with changing times, and what she feels real luxury is
WORDS by SHARMI ADHIKARY
PHOTOGRAPHS by MANOJ KESHARWANI
Callouts
‘Today, families, mostly nuclear, burst crackers alone. How is that even fun? I feel there should be consolidated arrangements by governments for electronic Raavan burning in community melas, accompanied by fireworks’
‘Sarees have always been intertwined with my personality and sartorial sensibilities — they are elegant, timeless and truly represent sustainable, enduring fashion because of their age- and shape-agnostic quality’
‘People who burst crackers need to buy green ones, just like how organic Holi colours are popular now, taking from the age-old method of turning flower petals as gulal’
‘The meaning of that word is blurring every single day. People now have the money to acquire just about anything. But does that mean it would be luxurious? Hence, experience matters’
The grimy August humidity, the great Delhi crawl, and the two-hour trek could have unsettled us before this assignment but our mind gets instantly rejuvenated witnessing the lush vista. Chaand Bagh emerges like an architectural jewel from a manicured foliage as we approach
the driveway.
The air feels lighter, the temperature cooler — everywhere you look around there is an abundance of fine aesthetics, marked by beautiful paintings and unique artwork mounted on the walls, framed photographs of special memories, exquisitely designed furniture and home accessories, sculptural installations and figurines as well as novel memorabilia and trinkets from different corners of the world — and the vibe inviting as we enter Raseel Gujral and Navin Ansal’s Chattarpur home.
Almost like an oasis tucked in a quiet corner of this busy city, it is difficult to imagine how this quietude gets a buzzing makeover during festivities. And, just when we think the peace away from Delhi’s din is too good to be true, our thoughts are intercepted by the cawing of a peacock…
“There are so many of them here,” celebrated spatial designer Raseel breaks our reverie, with a cup of chai in her hands and a spring in her steps. She’s excited about the MOSAIC cover shoot as much as we are. “Welcome to my world of slow living where nature forms an intrinsic part of what we created and curated over the years — with patience and intention,” she greets.
Our eyes instantly go to the curious ceiling fans constructed with Bahama palm leaves that Raseel informs has been like this for 15 years. “If these were made from plastic, they would have cracked. But nature knows how to build sturdy, sustainable things. When we designed our home, we played around with such details consciously,” explains Raseel, who co-founded luxury interior brand Casa Paradox with her husband, entrepreneur Navin Ansal more than three decades ago.
Festivals, she emphasises, penetrate this serene setting with their halcyon cheer.
“A 1000 handmade clay diyas made locally are lit up in every corner of the residence on Diwali, friends and family congregate, the supply of delectable desi khana continues till 4 in the morning,” the tastemaker helps us imagine the flurry of visuals, as she readies for her
first shot.
THE EVOLVING FACE OF CULTURE
A little bit of time travel always puts things in perspective when you discuss how old cultures and traditions go through the constant phenomenon of evolution and change. When Raseel was growing up, Indian families observed their festivals in a certain manner — simplicity formed the core of the celebrations with communities coming together for many rituals. With the world increasingly becoming algorithm driven, performative instances abound these days, even during festivals. Raseel, her family, her children, do not subscribe to that genre, of course.
“All relatives congregated at my Tayaji’s home (ex- Indian prime minister IK Gujral) on Diwali but I distinctly remember visiting the neighbourhood Ram Lila maidan with my parents to witness the burning of Raavan and the fireworks. That fostered in us a sense of community, which our festivals are characterised by,” she recalls.
Continuing the tradition, Raseel taught her sons, Akarsh and Imaan to embrace the true nature of their cultural traditions.
“I always took my kids to Diwali melas. Nothing compares to the joy little ones feel seeing such a cumulative display of crackers. Today, families, mostly nuclear, burst them alone. How is that even fun? I feel there should be consolidated arrangements by governments for electronic Raavan burning in community melas, accompanied by fireworks.”
Diwali feels incomplete without pataakas, and scrumptious mithai, she admits, but in the current context of discourses increasingly focused on what’s better for our health and environment, the choices need to be more considered. “Today we have several brands making delicious, artisanal mithai with thoughtful condiments. Similarly, people who burst crackers need to buy green ones, just like how organic Holi colours are popular now, taking from the age-old method of turning flower petals into gulal.”
THE CONTEXT OF CONCERN
In the active discourse our present features where consciousness is constantly juxtaposed against commerce, Raseel feels it is only education and awareness that can change mindsets.
“Unscrupulous businesses indulge in adulteration and pilferage or manufacture inferior quality products to earn a bigger share of profits. Regulatory bodies not only should impose stricter intervention but our education needs to instill in children the importance of conscious, healthy, eco-friendly choices,” she asserts, telling us how her younger son, Imaan, was more aware about green crackers, and eco-conscious celebrations for Diwali, than Akarsh, because these issues were already mainstreamed when he was a teenager.
The conversation veers towards her fashion choices. Raseel is dressed in gorgeous silk organzas and satins for our shoot and incidentally, we notice her proclivity for delicate hand embroideries that adorn her drapes.
“Sarees have always been intertwined with my personality and sartorial sensibilities — they are elegant, timeless and truly represent sustainable, enduring fashion because of their age- and shape-agnostic quality. Our festivals provide ample scope to women to wear them.”
That brings us to the concept of pre-stitched drapes that many women are gravitating to in the name of wearing sarees.
“Well, I would never call them sarees because the very idea goes against the idea of a free-flowing garment but I guess it gives many women a chance to at least feel what the saree can look like. Again, it’s the element of supply to the rising demand that is triggering the popularity of the iteration. Instead of initiating young women to the original style, lazy ‘designers’ are maximising on this trend.”
Immensely fond of Indian textiles, the connoisseur opines yet again that the state should bear the onus of uplifting the industry of crafts and weaves. “Patronage has to happen at the state-level simply because you cannot regulate consumption of the right kind when social media makes the scene of commerce so porous. Artisan, weave and craft clusters need to be adopted and roped in for important festivals so that the employment is regular and systematic,” she says.
THE ESSENCE OF MODERN LUXURY
Immersive is the new imperative, believes Raseel, who also owns Arzaani Atelier, a studio at Delhi’s Bikaner House that is a thoughtfully-designed space showcasing art, craft and conversations surrounding the world of culture and beauty. This sums up her thoughts on luxury in a world that is sickeningly driven by price tags.
“The meaning of that word is blurring every single day. People now have the money to acquire just about anything. Hence, experience matters. I could choose to dine at a restaurant only because I enjoy the time spent there. I wouldn’t be looking at the prices on the menu but paying note to how I was attended to,” she deconstructs.
A quiet evening at home, watching a favourite movie or reading a book, with Jagjit Singh’s ghazals for company, defines quality time for her. And this essence of luxury has been channeling her work ever since she broke into the design scene of the country. Raseel’s creations were never about vulgar pomp. Rather they made a confident statement without creating visual noise. This element of refinement peppers her curations as well.
“Luxury needs to shed the baggage of being something that can be bought or sold. To think of it as a feeling is more aspirational and compelling,” the architect elucidates.
Rejecting the idea of “product-led luxury” altogether, for her, experience has always come first. Hence was born Arzaani that eschews the thought of a transactional platform to an extension of the universe it seeks to create.
“Everything here tells the story together,” she says, describing how fragrance, sound, lighting, the colours of the walls, and spatial rhythm change with each exhibition, thus heightening the experience.
Raseel conceives every exhibition too, as a distinct world. For Gujral Within — a personal showcase honouring her father, artist Satish Gujral, during his centenary — the space was layered with dry leather notes, recordings of his voice interspersed with the sound of a heartbeat, and dramatic lighting highlighting the artworks.
“A lot of people who knew him said they could almost feel like he was in the other room,” she recalls.
In contrast, for Dakshin | Dilli: A Sacred Dialogue — inspired by Tanjore art, glass paintings, and traditional craft — pale terracotta walls replaced darker tones, the scent of sandalwood permeated the air, and a contemporised Vedic chant underscored the mood.
“I am inspired by beautiful environments and this is my way of translating that for my audience so that they relate to it and derive enjoyment. This satiates the visual junkie in me,” Raseel ends our enriching tête-à-tête.