Over the years, Saif Ali Khan has been a source of inspiration for many generations, not just through his films but also through his words and actions. In his journey of facing numerous ups and downs in life, a moment that stands out is how he fought his circumstances with all his heart to reclaim his ancestral home – The Pataudi Palace – the lavish mansion.
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan often enjoy moments at Saif’s ancestral home in Haryana, the Pataudi Palace. Interestingly, there is an inspiring story behind the majestic Pataudi Palace. Saif Ali Khan’s ancestral home, where his father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi lived, was transformed into a hotel after his father’s demise. In 2014, Saif wanted to earn back his ancestral home, but it came at a substantial cost.
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Saif Ali Khan purchased The Pataudi Palace using his own hard-earned money
In an interview, Saif mentioned that even though he grew up with certain privileges, ‘there was no inheritance’. He mentioned in the interview that the property people believe he inherited was actually purchased using money he earned from his work in films.
As per Architectural Digest, the Pataudi Palace, sprawling across 10 acres, boasts around 150 rooms. Among them are seven dressing rooms, seven bedrooms, and seven billiard rooms. Following the passing of Saif’s father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the palace was leased to Neemrana Hotels, running it as a luxurious property until 2014.
During an interview with Mid-Day, Saif expressed that, “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 went on to say, “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.”
Reclaiming his ancestral home wouldn’t have been easy for Saif, especially considering the highs and lows of his film career. The way he navigated through numerous career setbacks to achieve success and regain his home makes us appreciate him even more.
When Saif Ali Khan acknowledged that his film career might not work out
Reflecting on his career struggle, Saif told Bollywood Hungama in an interview, “Honestly, I believe I have worked very hard. I was in a bit of a ditch, mentally and professionally. I managed to get out of that. It is like climbing a mountain. I feel like I am on base camp 1 and we have made progress but there is a long way to go. The ropes are set, the boots are tied, and we have got our sights on the hill and we are climbing.”
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After a lot of hard work and persistence, things worked our for Saif. He got back on track with “Hum Saath Saath Hain” and turned around his career low in the early 2000s. Discussing his journey from low to high, he shared: “You have to not be scared and you have to not be vain. You have to be really connected. Either that can come from a state of complete security or just that you have nothing to lose. It might have been a combination of both for me. I don’t know when it happened but at some point I realised that if this career is not going to work out, let it not work out. I made interesting choices, let me be a good actor and learn.”
How Saif has turned around his life and career is quite inspiring. Isn’t it? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.