The ancestral mansions of Dilip Kumar and Rajakpur will be purchased by the Government of Pakistan

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government funds Archaeological Department to purchase both buildings as national heritage

(PTI) Peshawar, Ta. Sunday, September 27, 2020

The provincial government of Pakistan has decided to buy the mansions and buildings of Dilip Kumar and Rajakpur's ancestors, who were born in Pakistan but have become legends in the Indian film world.

Both the dilapidated historic buildings are in danger of collapsing at any moment. The Archaeological Department of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province had provided sufficient funds for the purchase of both the buildings declared as National Heritage. Both buildings are located in the same area in the heart of Peshawar city.

A letter was sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar to determine the value of the two historic buildings in Khwani Bazaar, where two Indian film experts were born and raised before the partition of the country. The Rajakpur mansion in Kissa Khwani Bazar, known as Kapoor Haveli, was built by his grandfather Diwan Basheshwar Nath Kapoor between 1918 and 1922.

Rajakpur and his uncle as well as Trilok Kapoor, who has acted in Hindi films, were born in this mansion. The 100-year-old building of Dilip Kumar's father and fruit trader Mohammad Sarwar Khan Pathan is also located in Kissa Khwani Mohalla where his relatives have occupied it. In 2014, the then Nawaz Sharif government declared it a national heritage site.

The head of the archeology department, Dr. Abdus Samad Khan said that the owners of both the buildings had made several attempts in the past to demolish both the commercial complexes considering the best location and market price in the city. It may be mentioned that Dilip Kumar and Rajakpur spent their childhood in this locality.

However, the archeology department, realizing the historical significance of the two mansions, thwarted all attempts. However, Ali Qadir, owner of Kapoor mansion, said he did not want to demolish the building, but contacted authorities several times to repair and protect it. He demanded Rs 200 crore from the provincial government in return for the mansion.

Rishi Kapoor, Rajakpur's son, also decided to turn the building into a museum. The government decided to turn the mansion into a museum in 2018. It is worth mentioning that there are about 1800 buildings in Pakistan at present which are more than 300 years old. Crop all this. The government declared it a national asset.