Discovery Villas at Khandala - Come home to outdoor living

Have you always believed in real estate as a solid form of investment? 

I think that every Indian actor and sportsman will tell you that real estate is the best form of investment. It takes care of itself. Even if you take yesteryear actors, the ones who are financially strong till date are ones who invested in property.

Yes, I always had interest in real estate and invested in it.

What made you decide on weekend home project? 

I love the outdoors. I spent all my holidays in my hometown of Mulki near Mangalore. Full of coconut trees and backwaters, it was a nature lover’s paradise. So, when S2 got into real estate, we wanted to develop properties that were havens for a nature lovers. Discovery has 3.5 acres of open land, which gives enough space for kids to play around.

Real estate is a very hands-on business. How familiar are you with its nuances? 

Well, I have always had a love for architecture. While working in my dad’s restaurant, I would always think about the of space, ventilation and sanitation and how I could improve it for the staff. Later, when I joined films, the sets blew me away. My wife, Mana comes from a family of architects. Sujata Hegde, my sister, handles the business aspect of it.

Tell us a bit about the project… 

Discovery is a gated community of 21 villas each set on a plot size of 8,000 to 10,500 sq ft.

The architect for the project is Alan Abraham while Mana, who owns a store in Worli, Mumbai called R House has furnished and styled the villas. We have created a water body ( lake) in the project with floating amenities and have planted around 400 trees. It has play areas, gazebos, pergolas, gym, barbecue lounges and bars across the project. Further on, we want to build a dog park, which will have kennels, swimming pool and a play area for them with a vet on call.

People who have pets can leave them here while they are travelling. S2 Realty has received many awards, a few of which are ‘ The Excellence in Design’ at MCHI CREDAI, we came in the ‘ Top Ten Homes of 2014’ and in the ‘ Top Five’ of World Architecture News. We are really proud of these laurels.

for Mid-day Hot Property