Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2001. Courtesy its bumper overseas gross, it surpassed even Gadar, the film of the year.
One of the talking points of the filmwas its grandeur, best exemplified by the magnificent Raichand mansion shown in the film. While Karan Johar will hae you believe that the palatial Victorian house is a stone’s throw from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, the reality is much different. The house actually belongs to the world’s richest and arguably most influential family.
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The Raichand House in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is not situated in Delhi ir even anywhere in India for that matter. The house is Waddesdon Manor, situated in the Waddesdon village in England’s Buckinghamshire. The house, which was constructed in the late-19th century, has seen the shoots of several international films and TV shows, including The Crown, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, The Queen, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is the only Indian film shot here and it finds a special mention on the estate’s website as well. The estate is owned by Rothschild family, once the world’s most influential family and still considered the richest family in the world.
The Waddesdon Manor was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 an 1899. In 1957, his grandson James de Rothschild bequeathed the house and its contents to the National Trust, which made it a public building, housing a museum. That is when the film and TV shoots also began. While the house belongs to the British National Trust, the Rothschilds still manage it through their foundation.
The Rothschild family and their net worth
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The Rothschilds are a Jewish family of bankers, descending from 18th century German noble Mayer Amschel Rothschild. During the 19th century, the family possessed the largest private fortune in the world (and modern history when adjusted for inflation). Even after their wealth dwindled in the 20th century, they have maintained significant control over international banking institutions. The estimates of their combined net worth vary but most sources put their wealth at around $300 billion (around Rs 25,00,000 crore), making them the richest family in the world ahead of the Waltons and the Ambanis.
