Actor Mrunmayee Deshpande Rao and her husband Swapnil Rao left Mumbai’s fast-paced life in 2020 to follow a dream of slow, sustainable living. Moving to Malusar village in Mahabaleshwar, they sold everything and built a 500-square-foot solar-powered home using natural materials like laterite stone and lime plaster, with one wall carved into the mountain itself.

The couple turned barren land into a thriving food forest, where kitchen waste becomes compost, greywater nourishes orchards, and nothing goes to waste. Their home grew into Neil & Momo Farms, a zero-waste homestay where guests can enjoy farm-to-table meals, permaculture lessons, and hands-on farming experiences.

Inspired by their surroundings, they also launched Neil & Momo, a line of eco-conscious wellness products including natural soaps, solid shampoos, bamboo toothbrushes, deodorants, and farm-to-jar preserves. For the couple, success is now measured by balance, sustainability, and living in harmony with nature, proving that meaningful change often starts with slow, intentional choices.