Saif Ali Khan recently returned back to Mumbai after spending a month-long vacation at his ancestral home at Pataudi in Haryana.
Some time back it there was rumours that Saif’s father, cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi had given the property to a hotel group on lease for Rs 800 crore. And saif bought back his ancestral palace from Neemrana Group of Hotels.
However, calling it a miscommunication Saif cleared the air and said, “It’s impossible to put a value to it in monetary terms because emotionally, the property is priceless. Contrary to reports, I did not have to buy it back because I already owned it.”
Saif further quoted as saying, “My grandparents and father are buried there, there’s security, serenity and a spiritual connection there for me. The land goes back by a few centuries, but the palace that my grandfather built for my grandmother is around a hundred years old. He was the ruling monarch then, but since then, privy purses and titles have been abolished. These are different times, which is why my father leased it out and Francis (Wacziarg) and Aman (Nath), who ran a hotel in the palace, took good care of the property and were like family. My mother has a cottage there and she was always comfortable.”
Saif’s father passed away in 2011, and since Pataudi Palace is very close to his heart and is spiritually connected to it he wanted the place back in the family.
In his signature candour, he says, “So, when I was offered the chance, I wrapped up the lease that was left, paid up and took possession of our home again. It was a fair financial arrangement. In my teenage years, I was the black sheep, so, it feels nice now to do this for the family and our heritage.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Saif will soon start shooting Bhoot Police in Dharamshala.
