Saif: Pataudi Palace has been earned back through money from films

Contrary to popular belief, Saif Ali Khan hasn't inherited Pataudi Palace but bought it back with his money. The Laal Kaptaan actor opens up about this and much more in an exclusive chat with mid-day's Sit with Hitlist.

There are quite a few assumptions that we have about celebrities, especially those who come with a rich legacy and history. For instance, take the Pataudis, and more specifically the current Nawab, Saif Ali Khan. How many of us assumed that he had inherited the extraordinary Pataudi Palace from his father, besides all the amazing history and culture that came with it? Well, turns out, Saif has actually bought it back with his own hard-earned money.

In a chat with mid-day's Sit with Hitlist, Saif Ali Khan recalled how he had to buy back the house he was supposed to have inherited, but how there are certain narratives that cannot be argued against. "People have a certain fixed notion. For that matter, even [with] Pataudi [palace], when my father [Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi] died, it got 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: I want it back. They held a conference, and said, okay, you have to give us lots of money!" 

The actor further shared, "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."

Watch the complete Sit with Hitlist interview with Saif Ali Khan here:

Reminiscing about being raised in Mumbai and spending time in Bombay Gym as a young boy, Saif Ali Khan said, "I was born and even raised in Bombay. My father lived with my mother in her [Carmichael Road] flat; I went to Cathedral, spent time in Bombay Gym — in a world more influenced by my father's, than films. He had just finished playing cricket. His last Test series was when I was four/five. My mother [actor Sharmila Tagore] says he was bunking his responsibilities. His mother was looking after things in Bhopal and Pataudi. She'd got old. So we moved to Delhi to live with her."

Crediting his father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, for his first-ever job, Saif shared, "My father sent me to an ad agency to get a job, because I was partying a lot. One of my jobs was to make religious calendars for the Birlas. The only creative [call] was whether we should put Lord Vishnu in October, or November. I soon lost interest!"

Fascinating, isn't it? We sure learnt quite a lot about the enigma that is Saif Ali Khan from this interview!

On the work front, Saif was recently seen in the revenge-drama Laal Kaptaan, and will next be seen in the period drama, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. The actor will play the character of Udaybhan Singh Rathod. He has also wrapped up the shooting of Jawaani Jaaneman in London alongside newcomer Alaia F and Tabu.

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