Amitabh Bachchan's Bungalow, 'Prateeksha' Didn't Have Any Windows When He First Moved In With Jaya

It was a few years ago when the Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan reportedly gifted his Mumbai bungalow, 'Prateeksha', to his daughter, Shweta. The actor bought the house in 1976, and it marked his first residence in Mumbai with his wife, Jaya Bachchan. It is the same house where the two-year-old, Shweta grew up and Abhishek Bachchan married the love of his wife, Aishwarya Rai. The lavish estate is located in Juhu and is among the popular tourist spots in Mumbai. However, when the actor moved into the mansion with his wife, it was extremely different from the 'Prateeksha' we know it as.

'Prateeksha' didn't have any windows or curtains when Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan first moved in

It was in 2002 when Jaya Bachchan penned an article for India Today magazine and reflected on her husband, Amitabh Bachchan's success in the 1970s. She shared the early memories of the estate and recalled what it was like when they initially moved in. Jaya revealed that they moved into 'Prateeksha' in 1976. However, there were no curtains or windows in the house back then, and Amitabh would hardly ever be there as it was also the busiest phase of his life. 

"In 1976, we moved to Prateeksha, the house that he built. We shifted in even though there were no proper curtains or windows. Now, he had a house of his own, but he was hardly ever there. This was his busiest phase."

In the same article, Jaya Bachchan continued by revealing that Amitabh Bachchan has remained the same despite his fame and success. She added that he was a part of massive projects and delivering blockbusters after blockbusters. However, at home, he would be a normal human being, unaffected by the limelight on him. Jaya shared that as she was getting distanced from the industry, Amitabh ensured he never brought any work home. She was quoted as saying:

"After Abhishek was born, Amitji and I would try to snatch time together. He was now into bigger and bigger blockbusters, but on the homefront, he would be normal and unaffected. Almost imperceptibly, his confidence was increasing. Meanwhile, I was getting more and more distanced from the film industry. He did not bring his work home, and I was blissfully unaware of the number of films he was signing and whom he was working with. I spared him the nagging inquiries."

Amitabh Bachchan revealed the story behind the name 'Prateeksha' 

The name 'Prateeksha' was given to the house by Amitabh Bachchan's father, the poet, Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Amitabh shared the story about the same on an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati. He revealed that his father kept the name after a line in his poem, 'Swagat sabke liye hain par nahi hain kisi ke liye Prateeksha.' which roughly translates to, everyone is welcomed, but wait for no one. 

Amitabh Bachchan shifted to 'Jalsa' after the death of his parents

While 'Prateeksha' held several memories for the Bachchan family, they moved into a new residence, 'Jalsa', after the death of Amitabh Bachchan's parents. While both were in the same compound, 'Prateeksha' remained locked for decades. However, Aishwarya and Abhishek reopened the doors in 2011 after their daughter, Aaradhya, was born. The couple brought their little angel to 'Prateeksha' first, and then to 'Jalsa'. Amitabh Bachchan shared about the same on his blog and stated:

"Today, we brought bitiya (Aaradhya) home. We are very happy. Hamare ghar Laxmi aayi hai, Abhishek, Aishwarya and bitiya are all well and in good health. Life changes when a new life comes to your house. I would say Laxmi Ratna has arrived at our house. We first took her to Prateeksha because that was our first home. After taking blessings from my ma and babuji, we have come to Jalsa."

What are your thoughts on Amitabh Bachchan's 'Prateeksha' not having any windows or curtains when he moved in?

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