Indian American Buys Matthew Perry’s Home, Does Puja

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Real estate developer and film producer Anita Verma-Lallian has purchased the Los Angeles home of late Friends star Matthew Perry. Verma-Lallian acquired the Pacific Palisades property for $8.55 million, and before moving in, she and her family conducted a traditional Hindu puja ceremony to bless the home and honor Perry’s legacy. Perry was found dead in the house last year, a tragic event that has only deepened the emotional significance of the property for its new owner.

Verma-Lallian, a prominent figure in Arizona’s real estate and film industries, is known for her efforts to promote South Asian representation in cinema. She founded Camelback Productions, a film company dedicated to increasing diversity in Hollywood. Her real estate career was inspired by her parents, Kuldip and Binu Verma, who emigrated from India and built Vermaland, one of Arizona’s largest land banking firms. Following in their entrepreneurial footsteps, she launched Arizona Land Consulting and currently serves as a respected commercial real estate consultant in Arizona, as well as the Marketing Director for Vermaland.

Verma-Lallian has earned several accolades over the years, including being named a “Dynamic Woman” by Modern Luxury in 2021 and receiving the “Global Real Estate Leader of the Year” award from the Global Chamber of Phoenix in 2018 and 2019. Her contributions extend beyond real estate; she and her sister Jennifer co-founded the Verma Charitable Foundation, which supports underprivileged students in India with scholarships and has plans to build a cultural center in Phoenix to celebrate Indian heritage.

After purchasing Perry’s former residence, Verma-Lallian posted images of herself and her family performing the puja by the pool, where Perry’s body was discovered last October. In a statement, she explained that as a practicing Hindu, it is customary to conduct a blessing when moving into a new home. “We chose to honor the positive aspects of the previous owner’s life, his immense talent, and all the joy he brought to so many people,” she said. The family was able to bring a priest from Arizona to perform the blessing, a deeply meaningful experience for them.

Verma-Lallian also shared her love for the property itself. “The moment I walked into the home, I absolutely fell in love with the features, especially the view of the Pacific Ocean,” she wrote on Instagram. She added that while she and her family appreciated Perry’s contributions, their decision to purchase the home was driven by their own connection to it. Verma-Lallian noted that they plan to keep some of Perry’s unique design elements, such as the Batman logo embedded in the pool, as a way to blend their new beginning with a respectful nod to the house’s past.