The Times of India, page 11 - November, 2005

Pune: While Bollywood continues to colour the country’s imagination, the verdant backwaters of the Pavna dam near Lonavla seem to have caught the fancy of its stars.

Aamir Khan became the latest to make a beeline for the area when he bought four hectares in Vadgaon last week. Superstar Amitabh Bachchan owns eight hectares in nearby Pol village and Dharmendra is said to be holding 100 hectares in the area located about seven kilometres from Lonavla.

Sampat Khilare, tehsildar of Vadgaon Maval, said Aamir’s deal was registered on November 7. “We don’t know the exact details of the deal because the registration papers are yet to reach our office,’’ he said.

Why this sudden interest in the backwaters of the Pavna dam? Khilare acknowledged that famous personalities have bought land in the area, but clarified that it couldn’t be said to be a spurt. He isn’t sure what is attracting the stars. “It is a typical village atmosphere.’’

Rohit Gera, secretary of the Promoters and Builders Association of Pune, said though this did not seem like a trend, the buying and selling of land could be due to the boom in real estate. “Plus, there is also the thing called weekend homes where one wants to get away from the daily routine. And once one or two known personalities buy real estate in a particular area others seem to follow,’’ he said.