Saif refutes buying back Pataudi palace for a staggering Rs. 800 Crores: I already owned it

Saif Ali Khan has broken his silence against reports of buying back his ancestral home, the Pataudi palace from a hotel chain Neemrana group for a staggering amount of Rs. 800 crores. 

Saif says that since he already owned the property, he didn’t have to buy it back from the Neemrana group and  dismissed the reports as ‘massive exaggeration’, a 'miscommunication really’. 

Saif who recently arrived back in Mumbai after paying a quick visit to the Pataudi palace tells Mumbai Mirror:

“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. 

"These are different times which is why my father leased it out and Francis (Wacziarg) and Aman (Nath), who ran a hotel in the palace, took good care of the property and were like family. My mother (Sharmila Tagore) has a cottage there and she was always comfortable.”

The actor shares that property was leased to Neemrana Hotels, but when he was offered the chance to have it back, he did not think twice. 

"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 actor said.

Saif also shares that he rents out certain portions of the property for film shoots, so that it can sustain itself.

He describes the Pataudi palace as a ‘largish, colonial, Lutyens Delhi-syle country home’ with seven bedrooms and beautiful gardens.