Bollywood’s enduring allure for extravagant estates and breathtaking locales takes center stage once again with the release of Animal, a Sandeep Reddy Vanga film delving into the intricate dynamics between a father and son. The star-studded cast includes Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Rashmika Mandanna, with a Business Today report highlighting the film’s strong global start, surpassing the Rs 400 crore mark at the box office.
Crafted on a lavish budget, the movie unfolds across diverse settings, including England, Scotland, Mumbai, Gurugram, Delhi, and Manali.
However, a notable detail awaits those curious about the opulent Singh family residence depicted in the movie—this luxurious property is none other than the Rs 800 crore Pataudi Palace, owned by Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, a stalwart in the entertainment industry for nearly three decades.
Constructed in 1935 by Iftikhar Ali Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Pataudi, the palace passed into Saif Ali Khan’s hands in 2014 after his father’s demise. In a media interaction, Saif Ali Khan recounted, “When my father died, the palace was 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 that I want it back. They held a conference, and said, okay, you have to give us lots of money.”
Nestled in Pataudi, Haryana, the Pataudi Palace sprawls across 10 acres and boasts 150 rooms, including various bedrooms, billiard rooms, multipurpose spaces, and dressing rooms. The estate features a sizable outdoor swimming pool, a farming area, a separate stable, and more. Originally designed by British architect Robert Tor Russell in collaboration with Austrian architect Karl Moltz von Heinz, the palace exhibits a seamless blend of Indian and Islamic architectural styles. However, significant modifications were made to the interiors after Saif Ali Khan assumed ownership.
Notably, the Pataudi Palace had previously graced the silver screen in two other Bollywood productions: Veer Zaara, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, and Rang De Basanti, featuring Aamir Khan, Siddharth, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, and Kunal Kapoor, adding to its cinematic legacy.
