Actor Saif Ali Khan’s ancestral home Pataudi Palace holds a lot of emotional value for him. Most of the times he has been on the receiving ends for being a product of nepotism because he is the son of actor Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. But, let us tell you that the actor has struggled, worked really hard, earned a lot of money to buy back his own property worth Rs. 800 crore. We have seen Kareena Kapoor Khan, Taimur Ali Khan and Saif chilling frequently at this palace. This is only because of Saif’s hard-earned money which is behind their luxurious lifestyle.
Saif had revealed that he had to actually shell out a lot of money to buy the Pataudi Palace that belonged to his family originally. The actor had inherited the palace but when his father died, it got rented to Neemrana Hotels. But when he wanted the palace back, the chain of hotels demanded a hefty amount to earn it again. In an interview with Mid-Day, Saif said, “People have a certain fixed notion. For that matter, even [with] Pataudi [palace], when my father died, it got rented to Neemrana Hotels. Aman [Nath] and Francis [Wacziarg] used to run [the hotel]. Francis passed away. He’d said that if I wanted (the palace) back, I could let him know. I said: ‘I want it back’. They held a conference, and said, ‘okay, you have to give us lots of money!’ Which I then consequently earned.”
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He added, “So, even the house I’m supposed to have inherited has been earned back through money from films. You can’t live off the past. At least we can’t in our family, because there was nothing. There is history, culture, beautiful photographs; and, of course, some land. It has been a privileged upbringing. But there’s been no inheritance.”
According to Architectural Digest, this holiday home to Saif Ali Khan and his relatives is spread across 10 acres and has 150 rooms, including seven dressing rooms, seven bedrooms, seven billiard rooms, as well as palatial drawing rooms and dining rooms. This palace has been passed down from the last ruling nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan to his son, the last recognised titular nawab, Mansoor Ali khan. But this royal family has been a rather ambitious one, with both nawabs as cricketers and Saif Ali Khan as an actor.
Several films have been shot at Pataudi Palace such as Julia Roberts starrer Eat Pray Love, Mangal Pandey, Veer Zara, Gandhi: My father and Mere Brother ki Dulhan.