(middle) Marina Apatments; (right) Freeda One that serves as Khan's current pad

Unable to convince owners to leave their flats to make way for his bungalow, Aamir returns to original home as the lease expires at his Carter Road rental
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; May 30, 2019)

Aamir Khan is home-bound again. The actor, who had made the top storeys of Freeda One at Carter Road his address over the past six years, is moving back to his Pali Hill abode, Marina Apartments.

Says a source, "His lease at Freeda One is expiring soon, and he has decided to not renew it. The idea of relocating to Marina Apartments had been on his mind for quite some time. That's why he had ordered that the place be spruced up. With the renovation now complete, his old home is ready to welcome him back."

It has been heard that Khan's wife Kiran Rao, who is known to have a green thumb, had been overseeing the refurbishment and has ensured that the Bandra pad is designed with the central theme of nature.

The Khans own several flats in the Virgo Cooperative Housing Society Limited — if Marina Apartments was the superstar's address of choice for decades until 2013, mother Zeenat and brother Faisal stayed next door at the Belle Vue Apartments.

The property holds such a special place in his life that in 2014, Khan had expressed the desire to redevelop it and build a bungalow in its place. However, his long-cherished plans went awry when some of the members objected to the proposal and did not want to be "bought out".

Following this, he set out to renovate his flats. This plan too faced minor hiccups when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued a stop work notice, stating that the renovation — which apparently included building an internal staircase — would affect the building's structure. Fortunately, last August, Khan got a clean chit from the BMC after the structure was audited by IIT Mumbai professors.