With ‘Juliaji’ in Pataudi Palace, public out till Oct 10

PATAUDI - Right now you can go anywhere for a weekend getaway, but the 20th century Pataudi Palace here. The heritage hotel has a high profile occupant in Pretty Woman Julia Roberts - who seems to be in no rush to leave its lush green environs and charming hospitality - and is booked till Oct 10!

“Juliaji” is how the Oscar winner with the dazzling smile is being addressed by some hotel staff as she shoots for the Hollywood film “Eat, Pray, Love” along with other crew members.

“The palace is booked completely till Oct 10. The crew of the film had started settling in here around Sep 15 and then Juliaji came. For now, no one other than the crew is allowed here and the full palace is booked,” a source from the palace told IANS.

Barely a one-and-a-half hour’s drive from Delhi in the verdant countryside of Haryana, it boasts of sprawling gardens with roses and cyress trees. Stunning verandahs spacious bedrooms, old-style baths and fine Nawabi cuisine make it a hit with many high end tourists, domestic as well as foreign.

Designed and built in 1935, the pristine white Pataudi Palace is the official home of the erstwhile prince of Pataudi and former India cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and his actress wife Sharmila Tagore.

The palace, 40 km away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, was converted into a heritage hotel after being acquired by the Neemrana Group of Hotels, which is reputed for restoring and managing heritage hotels.

With its tasteful blend of old world charm and modern amenities, the palace has 14 refurbished rooms and a special yoga centre.

Even Roberts, who is here with her three children - four and a half year old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and two year old son Henry - and their nannies, takes time off her shooting schedule to spend time in the gym and yoga centre.

The Oscar winning actress is busy shooting at the Ashram Hari Mandir in Pataudi as part of the the third leg of the movie. Earlier, she was shooting for the movie in New York and Italy under director Ryan Murphy’s supervision.

After shooting in Pataudi, Roberts is expected to head for Cherrapunji, the town in Meghalaya that records high rainfall.