By IANS,
Mumbai : Mumbai Indians could not make to the semi finals of the Indian Premier League, but the iconic leader of the team Sachin Tendulkar still has a reason to celebrate.
He is on the verge of fulfilling his life’s dream of owning a house in Bandra, the queen of Mumbai suburbs and one of the most sought after places in the country’s financial capital.
Cracking a deal to buy an old, abandoned bungalow “Dorab Villa” reportedly for Rs.350 million on Perry Cross Road, the master blaster has ventured into an area which is normally the abode of Bollywood stars. Speculation is rife that he may construct a multi-storeyed building there at a cost of another Rs.300 million.
It is at the southern hub of Mumbai’s so-called “Glamour Crescent”, which starts from Bandra and ends at Oshiwara, and is home to the who’s who of India’s entertainment and glamour industry.
“Now, Tendulkar will be in the neighbourhood of the Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah,” said one of the residents who has been living in the neighbourhood for the last 52 years.
This is the place where once Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, Priya Dutt, the late Naushad Ali, Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Rekha and many others have stayed on and off, the to-be neighbour added.
Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchhan will move in soon. Their bungalow is being built a kilometre away at Carter Road.
Barely a stone’s throw away are the homes of film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and his clan, Preity Zinta, Urmila Matondkar and many others.
“Dorab Villa” was constructed in 1920 by Fali Warden, according to sources in the know of the deal.
The bungalow was lying vacant for the last five years and has been frequently inspected by various property dealers, builders and other moneybags interested in exploiting its value, both locational and commercial. Tendulkar and his family checked out the place a few times before zeroing in on it, sources added.
The bungalow was bought by Kishore Bajaj who later sold it to a developer, Praful Satra of Satra group. Tendulkar bought the property from Satra group last December, sources in the group said.
The location of the place makes it special, said a local estate agent. It is next to Carter Road. Nearby are the Jogger’s Park and the Otter’s Club that has produced some of the country’s top swimmers, Anita Sood and her sister Kavita.
The estate agent said besides, the greenery and the infrastructure around, new malls, multiplexes, some of the best eateries and shopping plazas also make it one of the special places in north-west Mumbai.
Locals are eagerly awaiting their new neighbour.
“I am very excited to know that Sachin has bought the place. Let him build the bungalow and come here soon,” said a 45-year-old homemaker who lives in the next building “Geeta Villa”, once part of the “Dorab Villa” complex.
“I will definitely make friends with Anjali,” she said enthusiastically.