Pataudi (Haryana), Sep 23 - 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.