Speaking on The Reality Drive, the actor recalled purchasing a bungalow in Mumbai’s prestigious Pali Hill from legendary actor Bharat Bhushan during the latter’s financial struggles. For Jeetendra, who grew up in a small chawl in Girgaum with eight family members sharing a single room, owning a bungalow was nothing short of a dream.
Sharing the memory, Jeetendra said Bharat Bhushan personally approached him with the offer to buy the house. When he discussed the proposal with his father, the family decided to leap over their modest background. The bungalow was purchased for Rs 4.25 lakh, and the deal also included a sprawling 3,450-square-foot plot—an unimaginable bargain by today’s standards.
However, the excitement didn’t last long. Soon after moving into the house, several of Jeetendra’s films underperformed at the box office. The string of setbacks made him believe the property was unlucky. Concerned that his career was heading in the wrong direction, he spoke to his father, who agreed that it would be best to move out.
Years later, the same property turned into one of the most rewarding investments of his life. Jeetendra decided to redevelop the bungalow, but even before construction began, he made an unexpected profit. He revealed that the Burma teak used in the old structure fetched him Rs 11.5 lakh after demolition—far more than the Rs 4.25 lakh he had originally paid for the entire property.
Reflecting on the deal, Jeetendra also expressed sympathy for Bharat Bhushan, saying the legendary actor had been forced to sell such a valuable property in haste because of financial difficulties. Looking back, he believes Bharat Bhushan unknowingly let go of a remarkable asset at a fraction of its potential worth.
The veteran actor later transformed the land into Gautam Apartments on Pali Hill’s Nargis Dutt Road. Yet, he admitted another decision still makes him smile in hindsight—he sold the newly constructed flats for just Rs 85 per square foot because he feared they wouldn’t find buyers later.
His son, actor Tusshar Kapoor, highlighted how dramatically the market has changed, noting that homes in the same building now command nearly Rs 85,000 per square foot.
Summing up the incredible journey of the property, Jeetendra revealed that the land on which the building now stands carries an estimated value of around Rs 450 crore, turning what he once considered an unlucky address into one of the most valuable investments associated with his life.
