New Delhi:
Saif Ali Khan is often in the headlines for his ancestral home Pataudi Palace. This palace is located in Gurgaon district of Haryana. Generations of Saif Ali Khans have ruled the Pataudi Palace for a long time. This palace has an interesting history. Pataudi Palace is also called Ibrahim Kothi. It was built by Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (Saif’s grandfather), when he married the Begum of Bhopal and the two families merged. The Nawab felt that the Pataudi Palace was small for his family and his new bride and had Robert Tor Russell design it in the style of colonial era palaces.

After the death of former Nawab and Saif Ali Khan’s father Mansoor Ali Khan in 2011, Pataudi Palace was given on lease to Neemrana Hotels. It is said that Francis Vajsiarg and Aman Nath, who were the owners of Neemrana Hotels, and Mansoor Ali Khan had entered into a lease agreement for 17 years. In one of his interviews, Saif Ali Khan told that Francis had said that if I want (Pataudi Palace) back, I can tell him. I said I want it back. They had a meeting and said okay, you have to give us the money.” After years of earning money from films, Saif Ali Khan finally bought back his traditional property in 2014.

It is said that Pataudi Palace is currently worth more than Rs 800 crore. The palace has 150 rooms, which include seven dressing rooms, seven bedrooms, seven billiard rooms and many other rooms. The property is where Nawab and his family, wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and sons Taimur and Jeh spend a lot of time, especially in winters. Saif’s sister Soha, her husband Kunal Khemu and daughter Inaaya also stay here sometimes. This palace has also been used for shooting of many films, such as Julia Roberts’s film ‘Eat Pray Love’, ‘Veer Zaara’ and ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’. Saif also filmed some parts of his web series ‘Tandav’ here.