Home stay: it's a guy thing!

KANAK HIRANI NAUTIYAL / TNN / Jul 7, 2006, 21:51 IST

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Matthew McConaughey's 35 and still lives with his folks in Failure to Launch.

Matthew McConaughey's 35 and still lives with his folks in Failure to Launch.
YOUR own pad. No deadlines. And, by the way, girls are allowed, any time. Couldn't get better than this? Wrong. Check this out: mom making khaana, no bills to pay, even round-the-clock company. Apparently, like Matthew McConaughey who seems to be rooting for this kind of lifestyle in his latest film, it's also what most city boys prefer.
In Failure to Launch, McConaughey plays Tripp, a 35-year-old who's still staying with ma and pa because it's 'too comfy'. When asked about this trend in an interview, McConaughey said besides the comfort factor, there are different reasons men -- and women -- are opting to not move out. "Some I've met say it's for economics. In some cultures it's just out of respect," he's said.
In Bangalore, reasons range from convenience to 'being there' for your folks. DJ Sasha lived on his own for more than three years before his parents moved in with him. Though he got his taste of freedom, Sasha, 30, now says staying with mom and dad is great. "I've grown up and they respect my freedom.

It was fun being on my own for a while; my friends would drop in anytime, and now when they come we usually sit in my bedroom. But there's a lot of comfort that comes from being with your parents." So is living with your parents really a 'failure to launch'? "No," says Sasha. "When your parents need you, you have to be with them."
Raghav D, a 27-year-old sportsperson, says the thought of moving out never crossed his mind. "It's okay when you're 19 and want to bring girls home, but when you're 27, you realise it's more important to spend time with family."

Raghav loves the comfort of being with family, "It's nice and it's convenient -- that's the selfish side. But there's also great moral support. And I can have a girl over anytime; if your parents respect your space, it's perfect," he says.
Does Ajit B, a 31-year-old professional, feel like the odd one out living on his own? "I feel I'm the lucky one. It's something every guy must do, but because of our social setup, men are forced to stay with their parents," he adds. The best part about being on your own? "You can live the way you want to. There's a downside though, if you don't have friends then it gets lonely," says Ajit.
But too many friends can also be an annoyance, says Prem Kumar, a businessman. "When you're on your own, people think it's okay to come to your house and party after the bars shut," he says. Yet, for the first time in 34 years, he's moving out. "I'm looking forward to being on my own. There will be no nagging. I can get up whenever I like; there's personal space. But I'll miss the food and having my laundry done," he says.

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