Saif Ali Khan May Lose His Pataudi Palace Worth Rs 15000 Cr: Report

Mumbai: Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan and his family are reportedly at risk of losing several ancestral properties worth an estimated Rs 15,000 crore under the Enemy Property Act, of 1968. The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently lifted a 2015 stay on these properties, as reported by NDTV.

Some of the properties affected by the ruling include Saif’s childhood home, Flag Staff House, as well as Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, the Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, and Kohefiza Property. These properties have historical significance and are tied to Saif’s family lineage through the Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan

The Enemy Property Act allows the government to seize properties owned by individuals who migrated to Pakistan during the Partition. The complication arises from the Nawab of Bhopal’s daughter migrating to Pakistan, while Saif’s grandmother, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India. The government is reportedly citing the migrant daughter’s claim as grounds for a potential takeover.

The Pataudi Palace, one of the most notable properties associated with Saif, has been a summer retreat and filming location for years. Saif reclaimed the palace after it had been leased to a hotel chain by his father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. In a 2021 interview with Bollywood Hungama, Saif clarified, “My father leased it out, and Francis (Wacziarg) and Aman (Nath), who ran a hotel there, took good care of the property. Contrary to reports, I didn’t have to buy it back because I already owned it.”

Saif’s sister, Soha Ali Khan, shared insights into the palace’s history during an interview with Housing.com. She revealed that their grandfather, the Nawab of Pataudi, built the palace in 1935 to impress his father-in-law so he could marry Sajida Sultan, the Begum of Bhopal. However, due to financial constraints, some parts of the palace remained unfinished, such as areas with cement floors instead of marble.

Soha also highlighted how their mother, Sharmila Tagore, meticulously manages the palace’s finances. She said, “My mother sits with her hisaab-kitaab; she knows daily and monthly expenditures. For example, we whitewash Pataudi instead of painting it because it’s less expensive. It’s the architecture and the history of the place that’s most inviting it’s not about the objects or furnishings.”

While Saif uses the palace as a summer home and occasionally leases it out for film productions, the potential loss of these properties could mark a significant turning point for the Pataudi family. The ruling adds to the ongoing legal complexities surrounding ancestral properties, leaving the family to navigate their next steps carefully.

Currently, Saif was in the news of being attacked by a knife at his home and the actor was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is taking ample amount of rest.