A podcast by Ankur Dassani
Maza Nahi Aaya?
The part of the project nobody talks about.
Unfiltered conversations with architects, designers, makers and homeowners about what really happens between the first sketch and the final handover — the decisions, the friction and the moments that never make it into the photographs.
- Episodes
- 5
- Hours
- 3.6
- Voices
- 7
Your host
Ankur Dassani
Founder & Joy Architect, TIS Living
The phrase
“Maza nahi aaya.”
Hindi — roughly, “it just didn’t feel right.”
It’s what a client says when everything was delivered to drawing, on budget, more or less on time — and the room still doesn’t feel the way they hoped.
Every designer has heard it. Almost nobody talks about it. This podcast starts from the idea at the heart of Ankur Dassani’s work: the finished space is rarely the problem — the experience of getting there is. Each episode sits down with someone who has lived through that gap, to understand where it opens up and how good teams close it.
Intent & purpose
Why we started recording
The podcast carries Ankur Dassani’s knowledge-sharing philosophy into a more conversational format. Through discussions with architects, designers, homeowners and industry professionals, it does two jobs at once.
- 01
For homeowners
To understand how the design process actually works — who decides what, when budgets move, why timelines slip — so you can ask better questions before, not after, the money is spent.
- 02
For designers
To communicate expectations, budgets, process and execution more clearly — hearing from peers how they align clients early and handle the moments that test the relationship.
- 03
The practical test
Every conversation should leave you with at least one idea that reduces misunderstanding, conflict, wasted expenditure or unnecessary stress on a real project. If it doesn’t, it didn’t belong on the show.
What the conversations cover
- Client expectations
- Visualising before building
- Site-day firefighting
- Samples, touch & feel
- Budgets and compromise
- Working with makers
- Materials & craft
- Handover moments
The bigger project
Every episode is research for a second book.
These conversations are part of the groundwork for Ankur Dassani’s proposed second book, targeted for 2028. It asks one question: why do design experiences sometimes fail to deliver the satisfaction people expect — and what can make them better?
The answers will come from real experience, not theory — drawn from conversations with around 50 architects and 50 homemakers.
Latest · Episode 5
Maza Nahi Aya? The Client's Side of Luxury Homes | Ep. 05: Anu & Saurabh Khurana x Ankur Dassani
Anu Khurana & Saurabh Khurana
16:22
In this episode of Maza Nahi Aya?, Ankur Dassani sits down with Anu Khurana and Saurabh Khurana to discuss their complete journey of designing and building their luxury home. From creating detailed requirement spreadsheets and selecting the right interior designer to reviewing 3D designs, factory visits, furniture ergonomics, material selection, execution, and the lessons they learned along the way, this conversation offers practical insights for every homeowner.
The archive
All episodes
- Episode 516:22
Maza Nahi Aya? The Client's Side of Luxury Homes | Ep. 05: Anu & Saurabh Khurana x Ankur Dassani
with Anu Khurana & Saurabh Khurana
Open on YouTubeIn this episode of Maza Nahi Aya?, Ankur Dassani sits down with Anu Khurana and Saurabh Khurana to discuss their complete journey of designing and building their luxury home. From creating detailed requirement spreadsheets and selecting the right interior designer to reviewing 3D designs, factory visits, furniture ergonomics, material selection, execution, and the lessons they learned along the way, this conversation offers practical insights for every homeowner.
- Episode 418:32
Comfort Is the Only Luxury | Nikhil Verma x Ankur Dassani | Maza Nahi Aya EP 04 | TIS Living
with Nikhil Verma
Open on YouTubeIn this episode of Maza Nahi Aya, Ankur Dassani sits down with Nikhil Verma — furniture veteran turned functional artist — inside his own home to talk about what luxury actually means, why most home projects turn into disasters, and why "budget is not a problem" is the biggest red flag a client can say.
- Episode 31:03:15
Maza Nahi Aya? Designing for the "Real" Client | Ep. 03: Arch Chandan Potdar x Ankur Dassani
with Arch Chandan Potdar
Open on YouTubeArch. Chandan Potdar shares rare insights into his most challenging projects, including a house built entirely without wood and a floating spiral staircase made only of wood and stone.
- Episode 21:03:43
Maza Nahi Aya? Designing for the "Real" Client | Ep. 02: Wamika Bansal & Arjun Sara x Ankur Dassani
with Wamika Bansal & Arjun Sara
Open on YouTubeIn this second episode of Maza Nahi Aya, host Ankur Dassani sits down with the dynamic architect duo Wamika Bansal and Arjun Sara of Design Dual. They dive deep into the unfiltered realities of the design industry, exploring the "firefighting" required on construction sites and the psychological dance of managing client expectations.
- Episode 154:24
Decoding the "Maza Nahi Aaya" moment of Interior Industry
with Ar. Vikrant Dwivedi
Open on YouTubeThe "Cheat Code" for Convincing Clients Vikrant reveals his strategy for resolving conflicts: moving away from abstract concepts to practical references. He argues that clients often cannot visualize dimensions or textures from 2D drawings, so he uses physical samples and "touch and feel" experiences to align their expectations with the design.
About the host
Ankur Dassani
Founder & Joy Architect, TIS Living
With more than 25 years in furniture and interiors, Ankur has spent his career on the making side of the table — where a drawing becomes a real object in a real home. His role, however, extends beyond manufacturing.
He is the author of The Best Kept Secrets on Furniture Buying, written to help homeowners understand furniture better, ask more informed questions and make considered purchasing decisions. His TEDx appearance extended that perspective to resilience, setbacks and rebuilding.
Maza Nahi Aaya? takes the same knowledge-sharing philosophy into a conversational format — and into the research for his next book.
- 25+ years
- In furniture & interiors
- Author
- The Best Kept Secrets on Furniture Buying
- Book two
- In research · target 2028
Join the conversation
Have a story that never made it into the photographs?
We’re always looking for architects, designers, makers and homeowners with an honest story to tell — or a question you’d like the next guest to answer.