In an interview to a newspaper, Saif said the Pataudi Palace property is ‘priceless’ because of his ancestral history with the palace. The actor said that since he already owned the property, he didn’t have to buy it back from the Neemrana group, but did clarify that some financial arrangements were indeed made for them. The Rs. 800 crore price tag on it was ‘highly exaggerated’ and a ‘simple call of misunderstanding’.
He is reportedly buying the palace back from the hotel chain which is currently running it. “It’s impossible to put a value to it in monetary terms because emotionally, the property is priceless. 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,” Saif shared in the interview.Saif cleared that he did not have to buy back the palace from the hotel staff at all because it actually did belong to him.
Sharing he was happy to have the heritage back, Saif said, “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 and contrary to reports, I did not have to buy it back because I already owned it. In my teenage years, I was the black sheep, so it feels nice now to do this for the family and our heritage.” The Pataudi Palace, as the actor describes, has seven bedrooms and beautiful gardens. He also shared that the bookshelves and family portraits have been restored.
