'He Promised Gauri He Would Own That House': Aziz Mirza Recalls SRK's Determination To Buy Mannat

Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic bungalow, Mannat, is a popular tourist destination for fans all over India. Every day, the superstar’s ardent fans crowd the outside of this residence, located at Bandra Bandstand, in the hopes of getting a glimpse of him or just to stay in the actor’s vicinity. There was a time when owning Mannat was just a dream for the Jawan star. He first set his eyes on the house years ago while shooting for the film Yes Boss, but back then, he couldn’t afford it.

Aziz Mirza recalls Shah Rukh’s promise to make Mannat his home one day

Film director Aziz Mirza, who directed Shah Rukh Khan’s 1997 film, Yes Boss, recently offered a glimpse behind the legend of how the superstar made his dream of owning Mannat come true. Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan were staying at Aziz’s house back then, which was close to Mannat. The actor had shot the popular song, Chaand Taare, from Yes Boss, right outside the building. In a chat with Radio Nasha, recalling how SRK supposedly promised Gauri Khan to buy the house someday, Aziz shared:

“Shah Rukh was staying at my house, Devdoot, which was very close to Mannat. He and Gauri were young then, full of dreams. I remember they used to go on walks, and I’m sure during one such stroll, he must have promised her that he would buy that house someday. Life was good to him, and he was fortunate enough to make that dream come true."

After relentless hard work and savings, Shah Rukh finally got to purchase the property, originally called Villa Vienna, from the Bai Khorshed Bhanu Sanjana Trust in 2001. His purchase was reportedly finalised at around Rs 13.01 crore. Recalling the moment SRK shared the news of his purchase to Aziz, the director said:

“I clearly remember, once while shooting near Cafe Seaside, he pointed towards Mannat and told me, ‘Aziz, I’ve bought that house.’ Of course, there were many challenges — legal formalities with the municipality and issues with the neighbouring properties — but eventually, he overcame them all."

How SRK and Gauri’s dream home came to life

Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan had poured all their savings into purchasing their dream home, but renovating the palatial mansion posed an entirely new challenge. During the Mumbai launch event of Gauri Khan’s book, My Life in Design, the star couple shared how Gauri’s journey into the world of design began, with building and designing their own home from scratch. Shah Rukh Khan recalled:

"We managed to buy (Mannat), which was one thing, but then we had to rebuild it because it was kind of broken. And then we didn't have the money to furnish it… We called upon one designer, but the lunch that he served us…was more than the salary I used to earn in a month. We were like, this guy will charge us a lot, so how do we do this house now… I said, ‘Listen, Gauri, why don't you become the designer of the house?’ So actually, Mannat started like that. So whatever money we earned over the years, we kept on buying small things for the house."

Today, the iconic residence, valued at over Rs 200 crore, stands as a lasting testament to Shah Rukh Khan’s unwavering determination and dream to build a home of his own.

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