On November 1, Bandra’s lanes began to hum — not with festival lights but with something else: a city-wide celebration for Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan’s 60th birthday. By the evening of November 2, a sea of people outside Mannat shimmered under phone lights and moonlight, waiting for a wave, a smile, a glimpse. Fans arrived from Bengaluru, Pune and even Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Peru, Nepal, Indonesia and France. Shrudi Shyam, 29, social media admin of SRK Universe (fan club) said, “We celebrated across the globe with charity drives and film screenings. We took children from an orphanage to watch Main Hoon Na,” she shared.

Bengaluru’s SRK Association made the journey en masse. Guru, the club’s president, who led the Mannat yatra with 95 members, said, “We don’t celebrate Diwali or Eid the way we celebrate King Khan’s birthday.”

International fans like Claudia Calle flew in from Peru with six members of her fan group after a 35-hour journey. “It’s his 60th — we couldn’t miss it,” she said excitedly.

There were others with striking stories too — a barista from Nepal who saved up leave to be here and an author from the Netherlands who arrived with a book for SRK. Hansani Hidelaarachchi, representing Europe CFC, shared, “Visiting Mannat has always been my dream and today it finally came true. I plan to hand him the first copy of my book, which has a collection of 100 letters I have written over the last 30 years.”

Off-site, fan clubs kept the spirit alive with screenings, charity initiatives and community parties. SRK Universe even hosted a Sunday morning party for 200 fans. What happens at these parties? “Quizzes, song-and-dance shows, trivia and thematic cake-cuttings,” said Harshal Sonavane, 27, admin of SRK FC Pune. “We burst crackers to celebrate him in front of Mannat. We dance, we sing. It’s a festival.”

As night fell over Bandra, fireworks lit up the sky and chants of “SRK! SRK!” echoed through the streets — a dazzling reminder that even at 60, Shah Rukh Khan’s magic knows no borders or generations.

Opposite Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat — the sprawling bungalow in Bandra that now holds the status of an iconic spot in the city — Kiran Pal Singh serves up a bit of the superstar from his crate every day. With chutney on the side, he dishes up what he likes to call “Shah Rukh Khan ka samosa”. It’s Rs. 15 each and the satisfaction is unlimited.

“Main 30 saal se bech raha hoon (I have been selling it from past 30 years),” he tells us. But it’s not the same any more, Singh remarks. Khan and his family have temporarily moved out of Mannat, which is undergoing renovation, and will return only after two years.

Singh, who moved to Mumbai from Ghaziabad in 1995 and lives a shanty in Bandra East, begins his day at noon, and sells samosas and tea till 10 in the night. “I have seen Shah Rukh Khan a thousand times. When his fans come to see him, this area, where we are sitting is full. Now that he is not there, khaali hai. Bohot kam log aa rahe hain,” he says. 

For fans, Shah Rukh Khan is an emotion. But for Singh and many like him, the superstar connotes something far more urgent — their livelihood. Guddu Prajapati, who has been selling Fryums outside Mannat for 25 years now, says, “Whoever knows that Mannat has gone under renovation is not coming here. There was a time that if a car exited Mannat, the public would crowd up hoping to see him. Him moving out has affected the number of fans, who used to come to see Mannat. Dhande pe asar toh pahucha hi hai. Hamaara dhanda unhi ke vaaste chalta hai,” he shares.

A regular day for autorickshaw driver Ravindra Tank starts from the eastern suburb of Bhandup. Every tourist he gets, he first brings them to Mannat. “Most of them want to see SRK’s house and they believe they’ll get to see him at some point. They then continue Mumbai darshan. Some fans have made me wait all day, as they wait that long for one glimpse of the superstar. There are people who still don’t know that he is not here for the time being,” he says. 

The road overlooking Mannat is quieter than usual. The tiny area where families fought to find space to get clicked next to the Mannat board is now able to accommodate the few that are still visiting. They are all aware that their favourite star has left. “So what if Shah Rukh is not here. His house still is,” says an ardent fan from Karnataka, who took a Mumbai trip with her family especially to see Mannat.

“I have loved him for over 20 years now! Who doesn’t love Shah Rukh? I have visited Mumbai in the past as well, but somehow couldn’t make it to Mannat. So, this time I decided we have to see it,” she says, gazing fondly at the bungalow.

Khan bought Mannat in 2001, and over the years developed a ritual of waving at his fans from the terrace, on special occasions. Even those, who could only watch on television the visuals of the actor opening his arms wide for the sea of fans standing below, it made them feel they were right there, with him.

As Minhaj Hassan, a visitor from Bengaluru, puts it, “My five-year-old daughter, Manara, has been his fan since she was two. She has seen his iconic pose and copies it at home. She has been wanting to see this house for a very long time. Of course, we read in the news that Mannat was undergoing renovation. We were little disappointed but we still wanted to visit, have a look at it and go back. It wasn’t about meeting Shah Rukh in person. I was just telling Manara, ‘He comes out and stands in the balcony.’ So, she said, ‘Oh! It’s so close. I also want to come and stand here.’ She is already wishing she meets him!” He laughs as he makes Manara sit on his shoulders to get a better view of Mannat.

Anil Sharma, a fan from Rajasthan, says, “I have been to Mumbai before but couldn’t visit Mannat. But this time when I came, I decided to have a look at it. I am loving it! I felt bad knowing that I am here to see his house but he is not living here right now. I have grown up watching him and his movies. It used to feel so nice to see him come out and wave at his fans from Mannat. That’s a beautiful memory for all of us. It would make us want to come to Mumbai and stand outside his house. Of course, we can’t speak to him but the thought of standing outside Mannat and seeing him up there is so reassuring. He won’t be here for another two years at least, but I would still come to Mannat on every Mumbai visit because this place gives me joy. Mann hi nahi bharta. Aisa lagta hai ki bas dekhte hi rahein.”

A slight sadness is reflected on Bhavika Barot’s face too. She travelled from Jamnagar in Gujarat to see where Shah Rukh Khan lives. “Itne door se aayein hain, toh achchha lagta agar woh yahaan aate. Par hum toh aate rahenge, chahe woh kitna bhi waqt lein wapas aane mein,” she says, before adjusting her pose for a picture next to Mannat. 

Kolkata-based youth Shomodeep is here with his cousins, who are all of 20 but call Khan their love guru. “We have learnt romance from him. He grew old and we grew up, with him,” one of them says. Shomodeep tells us that he had wanted to visit Mannat since he first saw DDLJ.

“Just the prospect of him sleeping in his room or gymming would have been much more exciting. It feels a little sad. But I am happy that I got to see his residence. Shah Rukh represents the prospect of hard work, that a commoner can reach so far and become a global icon. And Mannat is the symbol of that success. It shows you that you can come from the lowest level and reach to the very top,” he smiles.

Tank has been a witness to these fan emotions. “I see them making video calls to their relatives in their hometowns and showing them Mannat. Their eyes light up. I love seeing that love and in return it also helps my business. So it is a win-win for all of us and it’s only because of Shah Rukh.”

While his fans across the globe wait for him to dazzle them on the big screen with his next film, Guddu has only one wish: “Woh jaldi waapas aa jaaye. Public aati hai unko dekhne ke liye toh humhi ka khaati hai.”

For some time now, it has been known that in May, Shah Rukh Khan and his family will vacate their iconic Bandra (Mumbai) bungalow, Mannat, and relocate to four floors of a nearby luxury apartment building. The ‘move’ will mark the first time in over 20 years that the actor has a ‘neighbour next-door’.

SRK’s new, albeit temporary, address Puja Casa, is co-owned by filmmaker Vashu Bhagnani, his son, actor-filmmaker Jackky Bhagnani, and daughter Deepshikha Deshmukh. In fact, the Pali Hill property has been home to the Bhagnanis for years now. Along with Vashu and his wife Pooja, Jackky and his wife — actor Rakul Preet Singh — also live in the building. In short, the Bhagnanis will be the actor’s neighbours for the next two-three years until the Khans return to a renovated Mannat.

Shah Rukh has leased two duplex apartments on the building’s first, second, seventh, and eighth floors for three years. The actor will pay close to Rs. 24 lakh as monthly rent for the property. As per new reports, the agreement was finalized via a home visit, due to security concerns. Interestingly, the duplexes also overlook the bungalow of late veteran actor Dilip Kumar, with whom Shah Rukh shared a close connection.

According to sources, Shah Rukh and his team are working to ensure proper safety and privacy for him and his family at the apartment complex.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic Mumbai bungalow Mannat was recently in the news after it was reported that the Grade III heritage structure is set to undergo renovations this summer. However, it looks like the plan has already hit a roadblock. Santosh Daundkar, a social activist, has alleged violations in the renovation plan, urging the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to step in and pause the work.

Bar and Bench reported on Monday that the activist has approached the NGT, accusing Shah Rukh and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) of violations in securing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance necessary for renovations.

The report adds that SRK is planning to add two more floors to the six-storey bungalow. Since it is a heritage building, any structural change can be made only after securing proper permissions. The appeal also claims that the actor committed fraud by merging ‘12 number of 1-BHK flats for mass housing’ into a residence for one family.

The NGT has instructed Santosh to furnish proof of the allegations. “If any violation of the above procedure has been committed by the Project Proponent or the MCZMA, the same may be submitted by the appellant specifically along with the evidence in support of that, within four weeks, failing which we would be left with no option but to dismiss the present appeal for non-compliance of the order of this Tribunal, at the stage of admission itself,” a quorum of Judicial Member Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Vijay Kulkarni said. The NGT will hear the matter next on April 23.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has leased two duplex apartments in a luxury residential tower in plush Pali Hill locality of Khar west for a total rent of Rs 2.9 crore per year.

The transactions for apartments in Puja Casa building have been registered as leave and licence agreements for a total duration of 36 months. The deals were registered on February 14 and were concluded a week prior to that, as per documents accessed through Zapkey.com.

The first transaction involves a duplex on the first and second floors. The agreement has been signed between landlords—producer Jackky Bhagnani and his sister Deepshikha Deshmukh—and the actor. The monthly rent for this apartment is Rs 11.54 lakh, with a total security deposit of Rs 32.97 lakh.

The second transaction is for a duplex on the seventh and eighth floors. The landlord for this unit is film producer Vashu Bhagnani. The monthly rent is Rs 12.61 lakh, with a security deposit of Rs 36 lakh. The combined monthly rent for both properties is Rs 24.15 lakh.

ET’s query to Khan’s team remained unanswered until the time of going to press.

The actor’s residence, Mannat, is a landmark bungalow located in Bandra west’s Bandstand area. The sea-facing property spans multiple floors and includes luxurious interiors, a private theatre, a gym and expansive living spaces.

Originally a smaller heritage structure, it was acquired by Khan in 2001 and expanded into a multi-storey home. It is one of Mumbai’s most well-known celebrity residences, often attracting fans who gather outside for a glimpse of the actor. The bungalow’s prime location and architectural design makes it one of the most valuable properties in the city.

Mumbai: The two teenaged ‘fans’ from Bharuch in Gujarat, who were arrested for trespassing into Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat Bungalow last week, had hid in the actor’s makeup room for nearly eight hours before “surprising” him. Khan was taken aback when he walked into the makeup room located on the third floor of the bungalow which is undergoing repairs, said police.

Labourer Pathan Sahil Salim Khan (18) and vegetable seller Ram Khushuva (19) were booked for common intention and house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault, or wrongful restraint of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint filed by the bungalow manager, C B D’souza.

In the complaint, she said: “The duo said they used the scaffolding erected for repairs to enter the bungalow on March 2, at 3 am, and hid in the make-up room till 10:30 am, when Khan entered the room. He was in shock on seeing the strangers and called the housekeeping staff [Satish] who took them to the bungalow’s lobby where the security guard questioned them.”

The duo was handed over to Bandra police in the evening, and they were arrested. The teenagers told police that they wanted to see the actor and hence had come to Mumbai on March 1 and sneaked into the bungalow. Both were sent to police custody for a day. Police said that they did not find evidence of malicious intent.

Police further said the duo had suffered minor bruises on their nose after falling while scaling the compound wall. The actor’s housekeeping staff provided medical assistance before handing them over to police.

“Their parents arrived in Mumbai on Saturday and secured their bail of Rs 10,000 each. The parents said they had no idea of the teenagers’ plan to come to Mumbai,” said a police officer.

If you are a Shah Rukh Khan fan residing in Mumbai or you’ve visited the city at some point, it’s likely that you have paid a visit to Bandra Bandstand to catch a glimpse of the actor’s home, Mannat. Standing next to the nameplate and getting a picture clicked has given joy to millions of his fans over the years. So, it’s surprising to spot a group of disappointed fans waiting outside the palatial bungalow. Look closely and we realise that the iconic Mannat nameplate is missing from the wall.

A source tells us that the recently purchased nameplate, which cost the star approximately Rs. 25 lakh, has been off the wall for a couple of days. “One diamond fell from the nameplate, so it was taken down for repair. It is inside the house, in the garden and will be put back once it’s repaired,” we are told by the source at the time of going to press.

Try telling that to Angela, who travelled to Mumbai all the way from the US to get a picture outside Mannat, and the 26-year-old says, “I am a big Shah Rukh fan and I wanted to click a picture with Mannat. Now, how do I prove to my friends back home that I have seen his house?” Her companions echo the same sentiment.

Another fan, Iqbal, who stays in Mumbai and visits Mannat every week, says this is the first time in years that he has seen the nameplate missing. “Main Shah Rukh king ka bahut bada fan hoon. Mannat mere liye bahut khaas hai,” he gushes.