The optical response of a solvatochromic dye, [(E)-3-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one], N1, has been studied in the AOT/n-heptane/water reverse micellar media using steady-state and time-resolved techniques. To this end variation in the photophysical properties of N1 have been systematically studied as a function of water pool size (w(0)). Micropolarity, microviscosity, and relative permittivity of the immediate microenvironment surrounding the probe has been estimated from the limiting values of the photophysical parameters of N1 at high w(0). Information about the location of the dye in the reverse micellar media has been obtained using the observed results. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.