A location like no other, The Mountain Story is a melding of dreams and vision, with authentic representation clearly on the agenda.
To understand the vision for this extraordinarily unique destination, it is necessary to have an inkling of the passion fuelling the key drivers, interior designer/architect Shabnam Gupta and her client, the actress-turned-politician, Kangana Ranaut.
Globally revered for her acting oeuvre that spans the past 20 years of contemporary Indian cinema, Ranaut fought for her right to portray strong women in a period of Indian cinema where these roles were far from the norm. As a politician, Ranaut continues to be a controversial figure, holding the seat for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency since 2024.
Also in the spotlight, Shabnam Gupta has an incredible portfolio of extraordinary designs. Crediting Mother Nature as her muse, Gupta is a self-confessed flower child with a passion for exploring traditional Indian architecture and design from a fresh perspective. Handcrafted and hand-painted interiors enliven her projects with elements of both wonder and harmony, allowing her idiosyncratic designs to hone in on the experiential nature of an exciting and surprising curation.
Overlaying this pairing is the magnificence of the Himalayas, with The Mountain Story positioned within Manali, one of the most popular gateway towns. As such, fashioning a venue of calm reflection was a driving focus. “The idea of creating a space which evokes the emotion of slowing down, of being absolutely at one with the silence of the mountain, is what we tried to evoke through this design,” says Gupta, adding, “We wanted to try to create the silence and serenity; and at the same time celebrate the local colours and the vibrancy of the way locals dress and exude that emotion through our work.”
This pairing of seemingly diverse outcomes has been handled with an adept hand to create a hospitality venue that embodies a wholly authentic Himachali response, reflective of the diversity of the region. In doing so, the project combines grand heritage gestures, such as massive wooden beams, with exceedingly fine and refined design elements.
The architecture, for example, is in keeping with the traditional roof line of local Himachali homes, where the combination of grey stone and timber emphasises the layering of storeys typical to the area. “I love that the project is rooted in tradition and is completely created out of material that was sourced from within a certain radius of where the site is located,” she says. “The uniqueness is contextual to that region — whether it is the stone cladding style or the shape of the roof.”
The interior is also magnificent and locally sourced, with colour and textures, figures, mythology and nature duelling for dominance, yet fitting perfectly together over a foundational layer of locally sourced and crafted mica-rich stone. Large swathes of vivid colour, like the walls of emerald-green, frame elements such as carved woodwork, while sand-toned walls allow the deep hues of traditional artworks to shine. These ochre walls, however, are no shrinking violet, featuring artworks that are complex, bold and assertive.
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Traditional textiles and art are used extensively, with chairs, walls and lamps explored in floral overlays and joyful bursts of colour. The fluted black timber reception counter, for example, is festooned in a red-bordered and fringed, black skirt façade, while a wall of panels featuring a tightly detailed red, pink and black floral print creates a dramatic backdrop. “For us, as a studio, it is extremely important to be contextual, to make a difference through our work and to give a contemporary language to a dying local craft which has not been able to keep up with the changing tone of design,” says Gupta, who used local shawls and blankets extensively. Seating, for example, employs textiles with florals and geometrics to add rich patterns to the bar, side rooms and occasional lounge chair. Conversely, the high-backed timber booths are relatively plain, but then again, they do sit below lace separating curtains and an entire painted wall of traditional floral and animal imagery.
Framing is an important element in Gupta’s design, with a stylised Himachali shawl border design framing the primary entrance. This is picked up inside as striped borders in hot pink, navy and red doorway surrounds. The architecture, moreover, frames the view, with traditional carved and ornate fretwork defining the views from the wide surrounding verandah. With such a magnificent view, there is a sharp shift from the layered decoration of the interior. Instead, the palette is pared back with the stone and timber architecture picked up in slab timber and marble tables, while the subtle patterns of blue or black Paris wicker chairs convey their own particular charm.
Serene and bold, wild and grounded, it is these dichotomies of spirit that form the essence of Gupta’s The Mountain Story and make it so very, very unique.
