When you say home, when you say house, you are not talking about a concrete building, you are not talking about the fixtures and furniture. The first emotion that is connected with the word home is safety, a sense of belonging, and a warm embrace. Bollywood’s King Khan Shah Rukh Khan was also looking for all these things when he was searching for a place to call home. And fortunately for him, his search ended with Mannat.
Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Mannat’ is a six-story mansion spanning over 27,000 sqft area, valued at over Rs. 200 crore. But as aforementioned, it is much more than a house. Shah Rukh’s emotions and beliefs are associated with Mannat, and in a throwback video, he spoke openly about how it is a place that signifies family heritage, stability, and more for him.
“It’s one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life… is to buy this house. I don’t have a house anywhere in the world. I didn’t have a house because my parents died. I have a house fetish. I want a house. I have always wanted a house,” he said in the throwback video.
Shah Rukh explained how he wanted the house not just for himself or just his children, but for the future generations to come. He wanted to offer them something he longed for, he stated, “When I had kids, I got this house. It’s my family’s house. We took a decision, we’ll always live in Bombay. So my great-grandchildren are going to live in this house like some old Parsi family.”
Further emphasizing how much the house means to him, and how it is a symbol of security and stability for him, Shah Rukh shared that people can take away his commercial properties, but not his home. “My office, if there was a problem, they can take it away. My studio, they can take it away. But my house is for the security of my wife, my sister, and my two children,” he quoted.
In addition to speaking about the emotional connection, Shah Rukh in the same video opened up about certain rules he has in the house, to maintain its sanctity. “There are some rules we have, unsaid rules really, that I will not make a phone call once I’m in the house. So you’ll always find me making a phone call from the bathroom, here and there, close the door, and then talk,” she said.
Beyond these rules, the house has a special corner for spirituality, tradition, and religion. With the intent to keep his kids connected with their faith, irrespective of which religion they follow, Shah Rukh Khan devoted a special space. He shared, “Children should know about the value of God, whether it’s a Hindu God or a Muslim God. So next to Ganesh and Lakshmi, we have the Quran also there. It makes me feel very emotional.”
Through his words, it is more than clear that Mannat is more than a house to him, it is a part of who he is.
