National Heritage: KP govt pays Rs30 million for Dilip Kumar's house

KP culture minister says that the house will be preserved for future generations.


February 08, 2012

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has granted the status of ‘national heritage’ to the house of Indian film industry legend Dilip Kumar after purchasing the property from a local for a sum of Rs30 million.

Talking to APP, the provincial Culture Department said that the six-room house of the legendary actor, whose real name is Yousuf Khan, was located at Mohallah Khudadad, Qissa Khwani bazaar. It had been declared a national heritage as a tribute to the celebrated actor of Indian celluloid.

Kumar had left his house in 1942 before migrating to India. His relatives later sold it for Rs5.6 million.

"The repair and reconstruction work on the dilapidated house would be completed in few weeks and will later be opened for tourists and arts lovers," sources added.

Earlier in December, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Culture and Information Mian Iftikahr Hussain had said that Bollywood stars Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor “were legends of this soil and their residences in Peshawar would be given the status of national heritage so as to preserve them for the coming generations.” He had expressed these views while visiting the residences of Kumar and Kapoor at Qissa Khwani. Provincial Culture Secretary Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Director Culture Pervez Khan and prominent artiste and head of Hunar Kada College Islamabad Jamal Shah were also present. The minister had directed the culture secretary to immediately contact the owners of the houses for its acquisition in exchange for payment.

Speaking about talent in the province, the minister had said,“Kumar or Yousuf Khan, was the son of Peshawar who has won the hearts of millions of movie lovers in Pakistan and India. The soil of KP, particularly Peshawar, was rich in talent, having produced great personalities in the field of performing arts like Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Badar Munir, Firdous Jamal and Qavi Khan, who had millions of fans globally."

COMMENTS (33)

MANZOOR AHMAD | 12 years ago | Reply ANP leaders must have made money from this. the market value of this old house must not be as much as 30 million. I have seen its video on TV channels and it would cost most on its repair. I am sure that its price cannot be more than 10 million. Moreover, an Indian actor who never lived in Pakistan after its creation, can be our national hero or his house our national heritage. ANP leaders are known as pro-Indians. Can any body tell us that how many houses of the Muslims who had migrated from India to Pakistan had been given similar status in India? Great Quaid-e-Azam, Liaqat Ali Khan and many more political leaders, scientists like A. Q. Khan, and many more, musicians like Mehdi Hassan and lot others, actors, etc. etc. had migrated from India to Pakistan. What about their houses in Indian. Would Indians give their house the similar status? It is an open question
Nirav | 12 years ago | Reply Pakistanis appreciate their religion nothing else.total hypocracy
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ