Owners, authorities urged to end stalemate over legendary actors' houses
Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government and owners of the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor have been urged to reach a settlement over the rate fixed for purchase of the two buildings for converting them into museums. "Preserving their ancestral houses will promote importance of Peshawar and strengthen Pakistan's tourism industry," Faisal Faroqui, a Peshawar-based spokesman for Dilip Kumar said.
'Peshawar lives in actor Dilip Kumar's heart'
"Peshawar lives in the heart of the Indian legendary actor and he always discusses his association and sweet memories with his birthplace and the ancestral home in Mohallah Khudadad where he was born in 1922 before being shifted to India in 1935," Faroqui said.
Rs. 2.35 crore approved for purchase of ancestral houses
"The family and fans of the Indian film legends were very enthusiastic over the provincial government's decision to convert the buildings into museums to honor them and preserve their contribution to Indian cinema," Faroqui said. The provincial government early this month approved the release of Rs. 2.35 crore to purchase the ancestral houses of the two legendary actors located in the heart of Peshawar.
The houses will be converted into a museum after procurement
The price of Dilip Kumar's four marla (101 square meters) house has been fixed at Rs. 80.56 lakh and Raj Kapoor's six marla house (151.75 square meters) at Rs. 1.50 crore. After procurement, they will be converted into a museum by the provincial archaeology department.
Owners refuse to sell buildings at rate fixed by government
However, the owners are not happy with the rate fixed by the provincial government. The owner of Dilip Kumar's ancestral house, Haji Lal Muhammad, has demanded Rs. 25 crores for the prime location property which he says has been severely undervalued. Muhammad had purchased the property in 2005 for Rs. 51 lakh after completing all formalities required for the transfer of the land.
Owner of Raj Kapoor's ancestral house wants Rs. 200 crore
Muhammad said, "It is unjust on part of the government to fix the rate at Rs. 80.56 lakh for the property after 16 years." Meanwhile, the owner of Raj Kapoor's ancestral house has demanded Rs. 200 crore for the property in Peshawar. Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar.
Owners' attempts to demolish the buildings have been thwarted
The Kapoor Haveli was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. 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 but all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve them, keeping in view their historic importance.
Raj Kapoor's house has been declared a national heritage
Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor, a character actor seen in many Hindi films, mostly mythological, were born here. The building, which is in shambles, has been declared a national heritage by the provincial government.
