Daily Times

‘Home is not a place, it is a feeling.’ Few homes are like spiritual abodes and the others are cushioned with fond memories.

Amitabh Bachchan is a global icon and not only because of his profession but the values that have been instilled in him by his parents and the way he has been carrying them all through his life and generations. He owns five houses and all of them have unique names which tell a story.

Prateeksha – Prateeksha Is the first bungalow that Amitabh Bachchan bought in Juhu. He lived there with his parents Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. Harivansh Rai Bachchan named it ‘Prateeksha’ because he wanted to symbolise stability. Amitabh Bachchan visits “Prateeksha” regularly to pray at the family temple which was hand built by his father. Amitabh has preserved both his father’s (Harivansh Rai Bachchan) and mother’s (Teji Bachchan) rooms just the way it was when they were alive. The grand wedding of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai happened at this beautiful mansion in 2007.

Janak – Located near Jalsa, Janak bungalow is the Bachchan’s office. The Bachchans regularly use the gym at Janak. Janak means ‘father’ in Hindi.

Jalsa – Located in Juhu, Jalsa bungalow is where the Bachan family currently lives. This twin storey building was gifted to him by director Ramesh Sippy for acting in his movie, ‘Satte Pe Satta’ in the year 1982 and is appropriately named as ‘celebration’. It has a living area of 10,125 sq ft. The house was originally under the name of Amitabh’s brother, Ajitabh Bachchan’s wife Ramola Bachchan. According to sources, this was done for tax related issues. In 2006 Jalsa was registered under Jaya Bachchan’s name. The first movie shot in the premises of Jalsa was Anurag Kashyap’s short film titled Murabba in Bombay Talkies. However, the interiors were not captured in the movie.

New Bungalow behind Jalsa – In mid-2013, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan bought the 8,000 sq ft bungalow behind Jalsa. This is their 5th bungalow in Juhu. Along with “Jalsa”, this will be an extended residence for the Bachchan family.

Vatsa – Located in Juhu, this Bachchan bungalow has been leased out to Citibank India. Vatsa means ‘calf’ and it is named so maybe because it is a small asset and giving them rental income too.