When Shah Rukh Khan recalled buying a broken Mannat and not having enough money to furnish it: 'The only person to turn to was Gauri'

Shah Rukh Khan's iconic home, Mannat, in Mumbai's Bandra Bandstand, is more than just a residence; it's a cultural landmark drawing thousands of fans. Despite recent reports of a temporary move, Mannat's story reflects SRK's humble beginnings and his rise to stardom. Originally known as Villa Vienna, Khan bought the property in 2001, renaming it Mannat, symbolizing his dreams turning into reality.
Gauri Khan's coffee table book, My Life in Design, offers a glimpse into the early days of owning Mannat. She shares how Shah Rukh and she faced financial struggles, as he recounts in the foreword. After purchasing the house, they found themselves unable to afford furnishings due to their tight financial situation.
In 2023, Shah Rukh Khan reminisced about the early struggles of owning Mannat, saying, “We had not too much money. As soon as we mustered up some money, we said we have to buy a bungalow. We managed to buy, which was one thing, but then we had to rebuild it because it was kind of broken. And then we didn’t have money to furnish it."
When Khan and Gauri first planned to hire a designer for Mannat's interiors, they quickly realized that the fees would surpass their budget. Shah Rukh recalled, “We called upon one designer, but the lunch that he served us while telling us how we should design the house was more than the salary I used to earn in a month. We were like, this guy will charge us a lot, so how do we do this house now?"
He shared, “The only person to turn to was Gauri. I said, ‘Why don’t you become the designer of the house?’ So actually, Mannat started like that."
Shah Rukh concluded, “She started with that whole aspect and now has gone on to design anything and everything that we buy in the house."