Peshawar: Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government has handed over Rs 2.30 crore to Peshawar’s deputy commissioner for purchasing the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. The two ‘havelis’ are located in the heart of this city. Plans are afoot to convert Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor’s houses into museums.
The amount was released by the archaeology department as final notices were issued to the owners of both the historic buildings for their procurement.
The DC Peshawar is in close contacts with the owners to find out an amicable settlement hampering the process of taking over custody of the buildings by the government authorities.
Director Archaeology KPK Abdus Samad said the government would take custody of both the houses shortly. Then it would start work to restore the structures in its original shape.
The government would preserve both the buildings to make the people aware about the contribution made by Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in the film industry, he said.
The KP government had fixed the price for purchase of Kapoor’s 6.25-marla and Kumar’s four-marla houses for Rs 1.50 crore and Rs 80 lakh, respectively. Marla, a traditional unit of area used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is is considered as equal to 272.25 square feet or 25.2929 square metres.
Kapoor’s haveli owner Ali Qadir demanded Rs 20 crore. On the other hand, the owner of Kumar’s ancestral house, Gul Rehman Mohmand, said the government should purchase it at the market rate of Rs 3.50 crore.
Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home, known as ‘Kapoor Haveli’, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor’s grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Raj and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared national heritage by the provincial government.
Veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s over a 100-year-old ancestral house is also located in the same locality. The house is in shambles and was declared as a national heritage in 2014 by the then Nawaz Sharif government.
The owners of the two buildings made several attempts in the past to demolish them for constructing commercial plazas in view of their prime location. However, all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve them, keeping in view their historic importance.
