CHENNAI: It’s a weekday afternoon and the sun has not been particularly merciful. We are seated in a lush indoor garden where the walls of the home surrounding this green goodness adorn artistic expressions of many an artist. Intricately carved wooden shelves are stacked with ceramic and marble decor pieces.
Three terracotta monk dolls capture our attention. The walls of the drawing room are embellished with her latest purchase of Hyderabad-based artist Thota Vaikutam’s artworks on rural life in a five-painting series. We are at the home of Nina Reddy, hotelier and joint managing director of Savera hotel.
Born and raised in Hyderabad, Nina’s childhood was filled with trips to monuments, heritage spots and places of architectural significance — all of which shaped her knowledge of art. “My grandmother, mother and aunts were gentle, beautiful and strong personalities. They were traditional at heart but progressive in thoughts. My mother is a huge influence with respect to the arts. She used to decorate our pink beds with white rabbits using her creativity and craft skills. Although we had a small house, the garden was neatly done. My mother insisted that we made our own beds considering it was a basic task.
Now I can teach my own housekeeping team about it. I’m thankful to my mother for passing on the artistic skills to me. Secondly, I’m grateful to my grandma for exposing me to all the mythological characters from our epics. Inspired by stories, we would put up drama shows in our car sheds as kids and collect small amounts for pocket money,” shares Nina, whose first art purchase was a painting of the late artist Aziz at the then Sarla Art Gallery in Chennai.
Nina and her husband Vijaykumar have designed their home and hotel, ensuring all the aesthetics are picked during their travels. “I remember picking up 20 types of salt and pepper shakers during my first visit to the United States. Countries like Vietnam, Bali and Bangkok are my go-to places, especially for weekend bazaars. The exquisite souvenirs and artwork that require extra care and maintenance are usually kept for home, and the thematic ones with an all-around appeal are chosen for restaurants. But now, most of the paintings are kept in our restaurants.
If you notice the restaurants in our hotel, the interior decor of The Brew Room is different from Malgudi. That’s how we balance the amalgamation of different cultures by offering different decor for customers. Currently, I have around 20 paintings at home. I change the existing set of paintings as per seasons to set the mood and put up new ones to match the upholstery. There are certain art pieces that I attend to and dust personally. The Ganesha artwork in our dining room is sacred and special for us. It was also the backdrop during my daughter’s wedding. A friend and I had started an art gallery a while ago but we couldn’t preserve it in the long run. Art is a serious business. My dream is to tour the world and learn about different forms of art including pop and street art,” shares Nina. Her prized art possessions include a 30-year-old painting of Aziz and a colourful rural painting of self-taught artist Johnson G.
Nina often picks her paintings from Focus Art Gallery and Apparao Art Gallery. Duchess Utsav, which is Nina’s brainchild, is an annual exhibition where women entrepreneurs are recognised for their talents.
“My taste for art is dynamic. Earlier, when I began collecting, I was drawn towards dark and meaningful subjects. Now I don’t mind a pop of colour on the canvas, an abstract or a contemporary art piece. An art lover has to evolve like an artist and stay relevant to all times,” shares Nina. Beyond art, her eye for detailing extends into the wardrobe. From donning the big bindi to pulling off glossy lip colours, Nina’s eclectic style is much spoken about in the upper echelons of social circles. Rings and chokers are some of her favourite accessories. They call it the ‘Nina style.’ Nina has also walked the ramp to support several social causes by sporting costumes created by eminent designers from India.
“My mother’s white chiffon heirloom sari is close to my heart. The last time I draped it was when lyricist Gulzar visited our hotel. Off late, I’m into weaves, especially Banaras and Pochampalli. Kanjivarams are all-time classics. The way you look matters a lot in the hospitality industry. I often reiterate this to my staff,” says Nina, who is also an avid cyclist, pet lover, fitness buff and yoga practitioner.