Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s Juhu bungalow, Jalsa, is one of Mumbai’s most recognisable celebrity residences. The veteran actor has a long-standing tradition of stepping out of his bungalow every Sunday to meet and greet fans gathered outside his home. However, the iconic property has now become the centre of a family dispute, with Amitabh Bachchan’s sister-in-law, Ramola Bachchan, challenging its ownership.
Ramola has questioned a 1993 gift deed through which the bungalow’s ownership was transferred to Jaya Bachchan, alleging that the transfer took place without her knowledge or consent. The matter is now before the Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies in Andheri, Mumbai, where a hearing has been initiated following multiple complaints filed by Ramola over the past seven months.
How did Amitabh Bachchan acquire Jalsa?
Did you know? The bungalow was not always known as Jalsa. Originally called Mansa, the approximately 10,000-square-foot property in Juhu was reportedly given to Amitabh Bachchan as remuneration for his role in the 1982 film Sat Pe Satta.
The film was produced by N.C. Sippy and directed by his younger son, Raj Sippy. According to an anecdote shared by producer Romu Sippy, N.C. Sippy gifted the bungalow to Amitabh as compensation for the film.
However, Amitabh later sold the property. In an interview with the Free Press Journal, the actor spoke about selling Mansa and subsequently buying it back at a significantly higher market price. Jaya Bachchan reportedly encouraged him to reacquire the bungalow. The couple later renamed it Jalsa and rebuilt the property. Today, Jalsa is among India’s most recognisable celebrity homes and is reportedly valued at around Rs 100 crore.
Why is Ramola Bachchan challenging Jalsa’s ownership?
At the centre of the dispute is a discrepancy in the property’s ownership records. While the Kapol Housing Society’s records reportedly identify Jaya Bachchan as the owner of Jalsa, the Maharashtra government’s Property Card continues to carry Ramola Bachchan’s name.
Ramola is married to Amitabh Bachchan’s younger brother, Ajitabh Bachchan. In her complaint, she has claimed that Jalsa was originally registered in her name and that its ownership was subsequently transferred to Jaya through a gift deed executed in 1993.
She has questioned the circumstances under which the document was prepared, alleging that it was drawn up on plain paper without payment of stamp duty at the time. She has also claimed that the document did not carry witnesses’ signatures.
Apart from this, Ramola has raised questions about the subsequent registration and regularisation of the gift deed under the Maharashtra government’s Abhay Yojana scheme.
The issue reportedly resurfaced after an attempt was made to replace Ramola’s name with Jaya’s in the government records.
What have the authorities said?
Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies Faiyaz Mulani has confirmed that the authorities received Ramola’s complaint and initiated a hearing. The parties concerned have been asked to submit their responses.
However, the authorities are yet to arrive at a conclusion on the competing ownership claims or the validity of the disputed 1993 gift deed.
Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan has not responded to queries on the matter, while Jaya Bachchan could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Abhishek Bachchan declined to comment, describing the issue as an internal family matter.
Amitabh Bachchan continues Sunday tradition of stepping out of Jalsa
Apart from being the Bachchan family’s residence, Jalsa is also a popular landmark among the actor’s fans. Every Sunday, Amitabh Bachchan steps out of his bungalow to greet admirers who gather outside its gates.