Govt could take over Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar houses

To protect dilapidated heritage sites, the provincial government has decided to convert the ancestral homes of two Indian legendary Indian film actors Dilip Kumaar and Raj Kapoor into museums under the Peshawar Revival Plan.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Directorate of Archeology and Museums, in a letter issued on September 23, had said that it plans to declare the Kapoor Haveli as protected antiquity. It has further requested the Peshawar district administration to initiate the process for acquiring land for the ancestral homes of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

These historical houses will be converted into museums before being reopened for the public.

The huge ancestral Kapoor Haveli is set in Qissa Khwani Bazar of the provincial capital. The house was built by Basheswarnath Kapoor, who was the father of legendary Bollywood actor, Prithviraj Kapoor.

K-P Directorate of Archeology and Museums Director Dr Samad told The Express Tribune that the department has dispatched a letter to the Peshawar deputy commissioner to assess the value of the houses to purchase the houses of the two legendary stars and convert it into museums.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2020.