A Collector’s Delight, writes Disney Brar

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Actor couple Dan Dhanoa and Nandita Puri’s artistically done-up abode, Anchorage 42, is a microcosm of the world’s best-known artifacts, antiques, and vintage porcelain sourced from around the globe.

Chandigarh, September 5

I always try to scour local vintage shops and antique stores as much as I can while I’m on the road; it’s my version of hunting for buried treasure-Alison Sudol.

One step inside Anchorage 42, nestled in the posh locale of Sector 8, Chandigarh, and you are welcomed by lush green interiors and a sprawling garden strewn with priceless art pieces, vintage and moss-kissed mannequins, stone-carved statuettes, fountains, and ancient artifacts. As you walk further ahead, you come across two large film projectors from the 1950s perched in the garden, taking you back to the era when films were canned with larger-than-life equipment. 

This beautiful abode and an art-themed homestay owned by actor and ex-sailor Dan Dhanoa and his graceful wife-actor and danseuse Nandita Puri is a visitor’s delight not just because of this charismatic actor couple’s warm hospitality or their friendly pets-Mango, Laila, and Pari- but for the sheer global history housed in their house to watch up close and personal. Actor Dan Dhanoa is known for portraying cult villainous roles in Indian cinema and Bollywood blockbusters plucked from the 80s and the 90s. 

The garden at Anchorage 42 resembles a tropical garden planted with different varieties of palms, bamboos, ferns, fruit and flowering trees, along with exotic shrubs and seasonal flowers, making it a nature lover’s delight. “We receive around 20-25 varieties of exotic birds in this garden of ours, which is more like a forest,” quips actor Dan Dhanoa.

As one steps onto the porch, which features a large anchor, one spots a spiral staircase lined with the actor’s profile shots from his heyday in films, and pictures from his yesteryears of glory under the arc lights on display. This luxurious homestay under the Incredible India scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi houses Indian modern and contemporary art, with special mention of the Bengal School of Art and the artistes of Shantiniketan. Among the art forms on display are artworks from South East Asia and a large collection of vintage porcelain from Europe, Japan, China, and other countries. 

Talking to The North News, actor Dan Dhanoa, who retired as a captain in the Merchant Navy, says, “I have navigated oil tankers all across the world and collected my most treasured and priced antiques, art pieces and old porcelains from everywhere I have been.” Dhanoa’s penchant for collecting antiques came from his mother, “My mother was fond of collecting antiques from everywhere she went, and I got my interest in the same from her,” he says. 

Dhanoa has a sculpture on display in his living room which he sculpted when he was barely 11-years old, he nods, “I have always been an artist in my heart and soul. My teachers were from Shantiniketan, and we were exposed to art as kids. And now, after seeing this sculpture, you know where my interest in all my artifacts comes from.”

The actors’ drawing room nestles an oval-shaped sailor’s bar which houses every kind of liquor one can think of under one roof and has all the articles which come out of ships. The whiff of wine being brewed in wooden casks adds to the bar’s sensory appeal. The room is a shippie’s den that houses replicas of ships from around the world and a half-ship model of “Sao Gabriel,” on which Vasco-da-Gama came to India in 1497, while a statue of Neptune-the lord of the seas stands pretty in the center of the room. The room also has tabletops custom-made from original ship windows, which is very innovative and niche. On display are preserved fish artifacts and frames made from a shark’s jaws, beside an impressive model of the Titanic. 

Elaborating on his most prized possessions, Dhanoa adds, “Most of the antiques and artifacts in my house are more than 100 years old and national treasures which cannot be taken out of the country. I particularly love a tiger-faced brass cannon which was used by Tipu Sultan. Besides, I have many artifacts by Lladro.” 

Dhanoa has collected some of these pieces from his dealers in Bhindi Bazaar in Mumbai. “I had four full truckloads of my antiques coming in from Mumbai; some of these artifacts are brought in the train because one can’t bring all these heavy artifacts in the airplanes.” A giant samovar sits on his dining table for drinking Kashmiri Kahva, opposite a pretty masterpiece of a dancing girl by Dimitri Chiprus, the master of sculpture. Whole cabinets are dedicated to Satsuma, Japanese vintage porcelain. One can also spot a lot of Imari at Anchorage 42.

Talking about a literal art gallery that he houses in Anchorage 42, Dhanoa, says, “I have Paritosh Sen, Rabindranath Tagore and his two nephews-Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandlal Bose, Jamini Roy, Ramkinker Baij, Sailoz Mookherjea, Hemin Majumdar, Bikash Bhattacharya, Ganesh Pyne, Bonide Bihari, Shymal Dutt Ray, Ashit Haldar, Jogen Chaudhary, Prokash Karmakar, Sunil Das, Somnath Hore and MF Hussain on display besides others.”

In his outdoor sit-out, Dhanoa has sculptures from the Kamasutra era and ancient Lord Hanuman Idols. In fact, the main door leading up to the actor couple’s bedroom is a typical antique door from Tamil Nadu. 

Talking about the guns lining the walls leading up to the open sit-out, Dhanoa informs, “These are guns from the 1857 mutiny, which had bullets covered with the hide of a cow or a pig. I also have the long-barreled guns from the East India Company. So I have guns from both sides.” 

Talking about the designer of Anchorage 42, Dhanoa proudly declares, “I have designed my house myself because no other architect could have done justice to my vision for this house. When I was sailing, I used to sit and think. When I turned 60, I wanted to retire and spend my time in Chandigarh. Everything is highly collectible here and holds a lot of passion.” And we second that, Sir.