Image credit: InstagramSuniel Shetty has always worn his love for nature on his sleeve, his Khandala farmhouse, Jahaan, is proof of that. Perched on a hilltop just two hours from Mumbai, the property is now valued at a staggering Rs 20 crore.But strip away the price tag, and what you're really left with is a story about patience, family, and hundreds of trees planted by hand over sixteen years. The actor, known for his fitness and business ventures alike, has opened up about how this stretch of rocky, near-empty land became a thriving forest retreat.Also Read: The new language of luxury weddings: Why Indian celebrations are becoming more personalFrom rocks and cactus to a living forestWhen Suniel first laid eyes on the plot, there wasn't much to see. No sprawling greenery, no shade, just barren ground scattered with a few stray plants and cactus. Most people would have walked away. He didn't. Instead, he saw potential in the emptiness.Speaking about it later with Bharti Singh on her YouTube channel, he recalled that the land held almost no value back then, financially or otherwise. What it did hold was space, space to build something with his kids, Athiya and Ahan, and space to grow. Today, more than 400 trees stand where there used to be rocks, and that number alone tells you how seriously he took the project.Building a home to grow up in, not just live inWhat makes Suniel's story stand out is the reasoning behind it. He wasn't chasing a luxury address or a status symbol. He wanted weekends where the family could get their hands dirty, literally, through farming and planting. That intention shaped everything about the house.Every tree on the property was planted by the family themselves, not brought in fully grown by a landscaping crew overnight. It's the kind of detail that changes how you look at a property, less like a farmhouse and more like a decades-long family project that happened to end up beautiful.That long-term thinking also explains why the house feels so deeply connected to its surroundings. The design leans heavily on wood and earthy textures, and instead of blocking out the outdoors, the architecture invites it in. High ceilings, wide windows, and doors that open straight onto greenery make the boundary between inside and outside almost disappear.One courtyard even has an open ceiling, purposely left that way so a tree could keep growing right through the middle of the home. Suniel also kept some of the original large rocks from the land and worked them into the interiors, a quiet nod to what the property used to be before it turned green.A stream running through the propertyAmong the more striking features is a natural water stream that runs across the land. Rather than diverting or hiding it, Suniel built the house around it, letting the water remain part of the daily landscape.A bridge connects different sections of the farmhouse across the stream, so instead of feeling like an obstacle, it becomes something you cross and admire. Combined with the trees and the hilltop views, it gives the whole property a rhythm that feels closer to a forest retreat than a typical countryside home.Modern comforts tucked into a natural settingFor all its rustic charm, the farmhouse doesn't lack on having modern instances. There's a swimming pool set against the front lawn, a private theatre room for family movie nights, and an outdoor seating area with a convertible roof. It opens just by pressing a button which is perfect for stargazing on clear Khandala nights. The living room has its own personality too, with an entire wall dedicated to Suniel's mask collection and floors finished in wood-toned marble that ties the rustic and modern elements together.The farmhouse has already witnessed a major family milestone, as it was the venue for daughter Athiya Shetty's wedding to cricketer KL Rahul. Sixteen years after it began as a patch of rocky, empty land, Jahaan now stands as a green, thriving home, one that grew, quite literally, alongside the family that built it.Also read: The 176 bougainvilleas around Leander Paes' Mumbai terrace: How one sports star turned his home into a giant flowering gardenAlso read: Kangana Ranaut's kitchen garden obsession: How the actress turned her love of growing food into gardens around her homes