By: Entertainment DeskKochi | Updated: October 6, 2025 04:56 PM IST 5 min readSaif Ali Khan with his mother, legendary actor Sharmila Tagore. (Credit: Instagram/@sakpataudi)While Bollywood is now filled with khandans that have been part of the show business for generations, the Pataudi family’s legacy goes beyond the realm of cinema. Not only are several of its members revered artistes, but it is also the family of erstwhile nawabs who ruled Pataudi, a small princely state located on the outskirts of Delhi. While Indian cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was the last recognised titular nawab, his son, actor Saif Ali Khan, serves as the family’s patriarch now.Although the family currently lives in Mumbai, they still own their ancestral Pataudi Palace and stay there during the winter. Spread across 10 acres, according to an old Architectural Digest report, the palace has 150 rooms, including seven dressing rooms, seven bedrooms, and seven billiard rooms. In 2019, the property was valued at Rs 800 crore.Saif Ali Khan reveals Pataudi Palace houses a vast library with books on ‘Roman sexual perversion, military history and more’During a recent interview, Saif opened up about the expansive book collection at Pataudi Palace. “My grandfather’s (Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi) books were stamped with a rubber stamp with the coat of arms, and it said ‘Pataudi Palace Library,’ but there was no room for display. There were books on everything from Roman sexual perversion to military history to hunting in Africa… It was as if someone had gone and bought books of a wide range,” he said in an interview with Esquire India.Also Read | Honey Irani’s driver stole Rs 12 lakh from Farhan Akhtar over 3 years, had a deal with petrol pump employee; FIR registeredSince he took over the palace’s possession, Saif has expanded the collection and established a proper library there; an endeavour that he’s proud of. Recalling how his father used to read to him at night, mostly Greek myths or stories from the Mahabharata, the actor shared that he now does the same for his son Taimur, reading stories from their shared favourite genre of horror.During the chat, he also revealed that he fulfilled his duty to his family by reclaiming possession of the Pataudi Palace from the Neemrana Hotels group despite it requiring him to use the money he earned from working in films. “I’m happy. I think I’ve built something. There’s a constant sense where you want to be better as a parent, a husband, a son. But I think I’m doing all right. And I’m much better than I was,” he added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) ICYMI | Rajat Bedi recalls losing his father at 9; says no one from film industry supported family except Prakash Mehra: ‘A very unforgiving industry’In an old interview with Mid-Day, he had opened up about having to “earn back” the house that he was supposed to inherit. “When my father 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!'”He added, “So, even 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.”Story continues below this adHowever, in an interview with Bollywood Bubble later, Saif clarified his statements, saying that he acquired the palace after clearing a lease. “It wasn’t really re-buying, it was like clearing a lease.” During another conversation, he had said, “My father leased it out and Francis (Wacziarg) and Aman (Nath), who ran a hotel there took good care of the property. My mother (Sharmila Tagore) has a cottage there and she was always very comfortable. It was a fair financial arrangement and contrary to reports, I did not have to buy it back because I already owned it.” Following the death of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 2011, Saif wrapped up the lease.Renowned for his versatility now, Saif, however, told Esquire India that he took himself seriously as an actor only in the early 2000s, a couple of years and many films after his debut. He cited a conversation with his mother, legendary actor Sharmila Tagore, that marked a turning point in his mindset. Once, when he expressed his excitement at going to France for a shoot, she asked him, “When are you going to start talking like an actor? When are you going to tell me about a role you’re excited about?” Both Sharmila and Saif have won the National Film Award for their performances. That was the moment he decided to take charge of his career and went on to do films such as Omkara and later was among the early adopters amid India’s OTT revolution with The Sacred Games.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:pataudiSaif Ali Khan