The ancestral homes of veteran actor Dilip Kumar and late actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor are finally on track to be turned into museums after the Pakistan government agreed to buy them.
Located in the famed walled city of Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister has approved an amount of PKR23.56 million (Dh535,788) as the sale price, according to The Express Tribune. The amount will soon be released to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for payment to the landowners.
Kapoor’s ancestral mansion at Ander Shaher Bazaar will be bought for Rs15 million and Kumar’s house in Mohalla Khudadad will be acquired for Rs8.56 million.
The government had planned to acquire the properties and renovate them, turning the homes into museums to attract tourism. The Kapoor family home is currently in ruins and not inhabited due to its dilapidated condition.
The locals of Peshawar have been demanding the acquisition of both houses for a long time.
According to the news report, the current owners were not willing to sell the houses as the government refused to pay them the market price.
On the other hand, the government reportedly claimed that the owners were demanding exorbitantly higher prices and blackmailing the authorities due to the importance of these houses in the eyes of residents.
The news report further states that the government has fixed a price on its own and it remains to be seen whether it will be acceptable for the owners as the landlord of Kapoor’s mansion was planning to demolish the building and build a shopping mall when he failed to reach a consensus with the authorities over pricing.
Director of the Archaeology Department Dr Abdul Sumad was quoted as saying they were trying to estimate the cost of renovation of both the buildings as the department has declared these houses national assets.
Philanthropist and veteran actor Kumar, who recently turned 98, has been credited for bringing the method acting technique to Indian cinema. Kumar, whose career spans over five decades, has worked in more than 65 films. The legendary star is known for roles in films such as the romantic ‘Andaz’, ‘Aan’, ‘Daag’, ‘Devdas’, ‘ Azaad’ and the epic ‘Mughal-e-Azam’.
The late Kapoor, who was an actor, producer and director, is widely regarded as the greatest showman in the history of Indian cinema and entertainment. During his lifetime, the actor was a two-time nominee for the Palme d’Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his films ‘Awaara’ and ‘Boot Polish’. His hit films include ‘Shree 420’,’Jagte Raho’ and ‘Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai’.
