The Truth Behind Bollywood Celebrity Homes
There is a definite feeling of luxury about Bollywood star homes that passes from one celebrity to the other. And the luxury is quite evident, as they own some of the swankiest and the most exclusive areas of the cities. They not only attract the attention of the paparazzi but also their ardent fans, who reportedly create traffic snarls just to get a glimpse of their favourite star. What is about star homes that arouse so much interest? Well, like any other home they too tell a story about their owners and the extent they would go to get the perfect dream house.
Juhu and Bandra are the most preferred locations of Mumbai, where celebs spend a lot of money to get sea facing homes. While Juhu is famous for its Juhu Beach, Bandra offers a clear view of the Queens Necklace.
Some well-known stars spend millions just to own a house of a veteran star and let the success rub in. The recently sold Aashirwad, was the residence of veteran actor Rajesh Khanna, which he bought from another legendary Bollywood actor, Rajendar Kumar. The house was believed to be haunted when Rajendra Kumar initially bought it and moved in; following which he became a superstar. In the 1980's, Rajesh Khanna purchased the bungalow and rest as they say is history. The house is witness to the life of two superstars of the Bollywood industry. Once again, recently the 6490 sq ft. bungalow changed hands and passed on to his daughters after his death, and now is finally sold to a businessman for a whopping Rs. 95 crore. From the beginning, Aashirwaad has been in the news for different controversies with the latest being the property share claims made by Anita Advani, Rajesh Khanna's live in partner.
Bollywood Baadshah, Shah Rukh Khan's first home in Mumbai was a flat in a building known as Amrit bought from Rajesh Khanna. Apparently, the actor believes the home to be lucky for him, and doesn't want to sell it off; hence it has been put on the market for a hefty monthly rent of Rs 3 lakhs.
'Jalsa', another landmark property of Mumbai, and home to one of the biggest Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, was originally the abode of film maker NC Sippy during the 70's. With the changing era the house in Juhu became the residence of the Bachchan family, who prior to that were living in Prateeksha. The 10,125 sq ft, two storied house, holds the fascination of all Bollywood fans and has become synonymous with the identity of Mumbai. Recently, Bachchan family also bought another house behind Jalsa as an extended family residence.
Urmila Matondkar was the previous owner of Sonu Sood's present house in Lokhandwala. Later on, he purchased two more flats in the same building. It is also known that Bipasha Basu now lives in a house which was once yesteryears' actress Rakhees's house named Muktangan. Apparently, Anupam Kher also once lived in an apartment, which was previously Ranjeet's building and was demolished for constructing an apartment.
Be it small stars or superstars, the obsession with Bollywood star homes is always there. There homes are not just an address but are icons of Mumbai real estate.
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