The royal couple of Bollywood, the Nawab, Saif Ali Khan, and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, enjoy the splendor of the regal residence of his ancestral home, the Pataudi Palace. It is also known as Ibrahim Kothi. Saif Ali Khan’s Pataudi Palace is an architectural marvel. Bollywood buffs, architectural enthusiasts, and real estate people are interested in this royal heritage and luxury residence. It is located in the town of Pataudi in Gurgaon district.
History of the Pataudi Palace
The architects Robert Tor Russel from Braitina and Karl Moltz Von Heinz from Austria designed the palace in 1935. Reports state that Iftikhar Ali Khan, the 8th Pataudi Nawab, had a clear picture in his mind regarding the mansion he wanted to build. He was the last ruling Nawab of Pataudi who built the palace for his wife, who belonged to the royals of Bhopal. Later on, the palace is now an ancestral property of the family.
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He wanted the ‘Ibrahim Kothi’ to showcase colonial style. Thus, according to reports he requested the architects to build it like the Imperial Hotel, in Delhi. The palace was then passed down to Iftikhar Ali Khan’s descendants including his son Mansoor Ali Khan and his wife, Sharmila Tagore, and later to his grandson Saif Ali Khan.
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The Pataudi Palace is magnificent and huge worth ₹800 crore
The regal palace spans across 10 acres and is situated in the Gurgaon district of Haryana. The palace showcases history, culture, memories, architectural brilliance, and family heritage. A royal legacy that is about a century old and has great value in the market. The estimated price of Pataudi Palace is around 800 crores. It is a priceless possession for the family, as Mansoor Ali Khan and his parents are buried on the premises.
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Saif Ali Khan had to repossess the Pataudi palace to earn back his inheritance
Building a palace is something but maintaining such a grand property is a different task that brings about huge responsibility. According to reports, Mansoor Ali Khan didn’t have the time to take care of such an expansive estate, he leased it to the Neemrana Hotel Group from 2005 to 2014. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi worked out a 17-year lease with Francis Wacziarg and Aman Nath. At that time, Pataudi Palace could be used as a hotel or a holiday home.
Thus, Saif Ali Khan had to repossess the Palace. Saif once mentioned to Mid-Day in an old interview,
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“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.”
Saif Ali Khan requested one of India’s most renowned interior designers Darshini Shah to refurbish the Pataudi Palace
The Chote Nawab was only offered to buy it back in 2014. Once the house was repossessed in 2014, Saif Ali Khan requested Darshini Shah to refurbish it. The mansion, which became a family resort under the hotel chain, was once again redesigned into a family home.
The family stayed in their ancestral home for more than a month during the pandemic in 2020.
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At the entrance, there is a blue wall that has artifacts from a bygone era. From small swords to intricately designed light fixtures and a stunning taxidermied tiger, everything looks exquisite.
What’s inside the royal Pataudi Palace? A look inside the property
The palace has 150 rooms, including seven bedrooms, seven billiard rooms, seven dressing rooms, and a grand dining area. It also has an outdoor swimming pool, a large Durbar Hall, and a farming area.
150 Bedrooms
Among the 150 rooms in the palace, each one of them shows sheer magnificence and comfort. They are the model of a regal lifestyle. According to several real estate reports, the mansion has seven massive bedrooms. Each of these rooms includes a huge bed, and a spacious sitting lounge area, with a cozy fireplace.
The rooms are furnished with gorgeous drapes and lavish carpets. There’s even a distinct colour theme in every room giving them a unique character. The rooms have wooden flooring, ornate heritage furniture, and aristocratic paintings.
The dining hall
The extravagantly designed dining hall of the Pataudi Palace has large windows that allow natural light to enter and brighten the space. The massive dining table has the capacity to serve 22 people! There is a chandelier that adds to the grandeur of the palace.
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Rooms for Recreational activities
Reports suggest that 7 rooms in the palace are reserved for sports and recreational activities. Each of these rooms has checkered floors and old photos on the walls. There’s a room for billiards, as it is one of the sports that Saif is interested in. There’s also a special playroom for Saif and Kareena’s kids Taimur and Zeh.
There is a library, stuffed with several books on wooden bookshelves.
Lounge area
Their lounge area is decorated with delicate embellishment and harem windows. It is one of the best places to unwind in the Pataudi Palace. It is designed in Indo-Saracenic style- plain white architecture combined with brightly toned furniture.
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Corridors
The internal corridors of the Pataudi Palace are long, wide, and arched. They are decorated with walls full of artwork and heavy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
The external corridors merge with a balcony that has comfortable couches and seats facing the spacious lawns.
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The lush green Lawns
The view from the balcony of a Pataudi Palace room is splendid. The lush greenery of the lawns offers a perfect place to host family gatherings and parties. The outdoors has beautiful landscaping and is filled with plants with colorful flowers and other ornamental plants. There is also a large swimming pool with umbrellas and sun-soaking decks. There are also some swings in the outdoor area.
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Pataudi Palace has a history with Bollywood movies
Pataudi Palace is a perfect venue for filmmakers. Bollywood movies like ‘Veer Zara’ (2004), ‘Mangal Pandey’ (2005), ‘Gandhi, My Father’ (2007), and ‘Mere Brother ki Dulhan’ (2011), ‘Animal’, ‘Rang De Basanti’ were shot in the Pataudi Palace. The Hollywood movie ‘Eat Love Pray,’ released in 2010 was also shot in the palace. Saif Ali Khan’s political drama ‘Tandav’ (2019) was also shot at the place.
The beauty and grandeur of the Pataudi Palace is spectacular. Saif Ali Khan once expressed the regal beauty of the palace by saying,
“I think it is the palace that lends us the royal look. Anyone standing there would look royal.”
Take a look at some Pataudi Palace images
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What are your thoughts about the grand Pataudi Palace? Let us know in the comments.
