Sachin Tendulkar Dream house bandra image
A delighted and beaming Tendulkar made the grihapravesh along with his mother and family. The Tendulkars, over the last many years, had been staying at their 10th floor residence at La Mer building, also in Bandra. But while the earlier home was a duplex of over 2,000 sq ft, the new mansion rises up to three-storey and is spread across 6,000 sq ft. It took over three years for the batting maestro to build it.
It wasn't long ago that Tendulkar, while answering a query as to why he had not chosen to stay in a house of his own, had quipped, "Show me one good place with a clean deal." The cricket god was soon granted his wish when he chose an old Dorab Villa, which he bought for Rs 39 crore and later demolished to construct the new house which hasn't been christened as yet.
When the construction began, Tendulkar had personally sent a signed note to each neighbour expressing regret for the calm of the locality being disturbed. On Wednesday, there was a banner put up welcoming him and his family to their new neighborhood.
The move to the new place was supposed to be a quiet affair but a crowd was already in place much before the maestro could drive in with his family. A gracious Tendulkar thanked all for their good wishes and distributed sweets to children on the occasion. "I am really thrilled and happy today, especially for my mother and my family members," he said, adding, "Everyone has a dream of owning a house. I, too, had this dream. I am happy that I was able to fulfill it."
He clarified that the flat allotted to him under the sports quota (also in Bandra but not the one at La Mer) had been returned to the government so that some other worthy sportsperson could get it.
Two years ago, on the eve of Sachin's completion of 20 years in international cricket, his wife Anjali had described how the new home would be in an interview to TOI. "It will be a normal house. Given the space constraints in Mumbai, we are lucky to be having not a mansion but a nice home which will have all the requirements that Sachin had wanted. If he wants to go and play cricket with Arjun, there is a garden, not a big one but there is one. There is a parking area for our cars down, room for Sachin's mother and the kids."
On the choice of the interiors, Anjali had said, "A lot of things in the house are what Sachin wanted. But we are in it together. Also, I'm the more scientific type, more practical. I'm only bothered about where are the switches going to be placed in the house, where are the TV connections are going to be, how is the kitchen and bathroom layout going to be. He's into the fancy and decorative side of it."
The dream house is absolutely classy, and does seem to have fulfilled all the desires of the Tendulkars. High-fenced with electronic surveillance, it also has two basement levels with servant quarters and parking for several cars. The topmost floor has a lap swimming pool and a gymnasium.
Sachin, who spent his childhood at Sahitya Sahawas Colony (meant for achievers in the field of arts and literature) situated in Bandra East, has all along been a Bandra boy and wanted to own a bungalow in the same suburb.
