Involved

Taapsee says having help from Mathias’s father who was a former architect goes a long way, since the couple is doing the decor themselves. “What is strange for Danes but normal for us Indians is that Mathias’s parents live with us, they have their own space on the ground floor, their bedroom, living room, dining and lounge area. It’s the most Indian thing I brought into the house and it took us a while to convince them because it’s not so common to live with grownup kids in Danish culture. Since we keep travelling we wanted someone to come home to, and it’s a beautiful feeling, it truly feels like home, ” says the actor.

Speaking about their taste in interiors Taapsee says, “Mathias and I have some common tastes but in some matters we agree to disagree, However he’s left most of the interiors to me and his parents, who were also kind to let me decide. However, I discuss with everybody before making any decision.” She adds that while Denmark is “poster perfect” the language barrier is a challenge. “I didn’t feel the need to learn the language until the past few years when we bought the house and had to interact with the locals, read documents so I thought it’s a good idea to know Danish, I can understand and construct basic sentences.”

Speaking about how she divides her time between both countries she says, “It depends on work. We are lucky that most shoots happen in winter as that’s the best season to shoot in India. Very rarely do we have shoots in the summer and rainy season, which is when it is summer in Denmark. We end up spending time in Denmark during peak summer and return to India when the rains subside.”

Sharing her love for Denmark as well as India she says, “In Denmark, the air feels so good and so does the water. There’s a certain dopamine in the air, it gives you a high breathing that air and living that life, which can be addictive. I look forward to turning my life upside down when there, you need to do everything yourself, cooking, cleaning, from buying a milk carton to bread and butter. We cycle at 6am to get groceries. If you need to fix something, you have to hammer the nail yourself. In India it’s easy to get support for your smallest of needs, unlike Denmark but in Denmark it’ the DIY life.”

The actress reveals when she’s back in India, desi food is all she needs on her platter, she says, “I try and have Indian for all meals, right from breakfast of chila and upma, to khichdis. I enjoy food in Denmark, which is different and nice but in India my menu from morning to night is desi food. I love the festive period here, full of dance and music constantly running in the background. I love putting up diyas, drawing rangoli, which I have been doing since I was a child. These rituals are not of tangible consequence but make me feel at home.”