A 33-Year-Old Deed Rocks Jalsa

Jalsa has seen generations of fans gather outside its gates for a glimpse of Amitabh Bachchan. But behind the familiar Sunday ritual, one of Bollywood’s most recognisable addresses is now at the centre of an unexpected family property dispute.

Ramola Bachchan, wife of Amitabh’s younger brother Ajitabh, has challenged a 1993 gift deed that reportedly transferred the ownership of the iconic Juhu bungalow to Jaya Bachchan.

According to reports, Ramola has filed multiple complaints with the registration authorities over the past seven months, claiming she was neither aware of nor consented to the transaction.

The curious part is the paperwork. While the records of Kapol Housing Society reportedly identify Jaya as the owner, the Maharashtra government’s Property Card continues to carry Ramola’s name. The controversy surfaced after attempts were allegedly made to replace Ramola’s name with Jaya’s in the government record.

Ramola has questioned the validity of the 1993 deed, reportedly claiming that it was executed on plain paper, without stamp duty being paid at the time and without witnesses. She has also raised objections to its subsequent registration and regularisation under the Maharashtra government’s Abhay Yojana scheme.

The matter has now reached the Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies in Andheri. For a bungalow with an interesting history of its own, this is another unexpected chapter.

Highlight: Originally called Mansa, the bungalow reportedly belonged to producer N.C. Sippy before being given to Amitabh as payment for Satte Pe Satta (1982). He later sold it, bought it back and renamed it Jalsa. The Bachchan family has remained silent on the latest controversy.

The house is now estimated to be worth around `100 crore, according to media reports.