Janhvi Kapoor’s home in Chennai is a living monument to Sridevi’s memory

Returning to her holiday abode in Chennai, surrounded by everything her late mother treasured and her father painstakingly restored, actor Janhvi Kapoor realises the power of a home built with love. When I step through the heavy wooden gate of Janhvi Kapoor’s home in Chennai, the actor’s trademark doe eyes crinkle with unbridled joy. This is the first home that was bought by Sridevi, whose untimely demise in 2018 sent shock waves through the entire nation, and Kapoor is convinced that the sturdy walls of the space continue to be imbued with her late mum’s energy. It’s one of the reasons why the family has since been fiercely protective of their holiday home, keeping its doors firmly shut to fans, media and paparazzi alike. That is until Boney Kapoor took it upon himself to oversee its renovations personally, and, a year and a half ago—on Khushi Kapoor’s birthday—finally gave his daughters the green light to visit and bring their friends along. The sisters, who had previously been unable to deal with their mother’s memories, even staying at a hotel while in Chennai for Sridevi’s prayer meet, felt a strong pull towards their childhood home and found themselves eager to return.