KP govt evaluates prices of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor's ancestral homes in Peshawar

Pakistan moved one step close to turning the ancestral houses of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor into museums, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government completed the evaluation to acquire the two properties, documents seen by Geo News showed on Wednesday.

According to the documents, Dilip Kumar’s house has been valued at Rs8.56 million while Raj Kapoor’s home was valued at Rs10.5 million.

Read more: Ancestral homes of Bollywood legends Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar being brought back to life in Peshawar

The price of the land on which the houses were built was determined by deputy commissioner of Peshawar while the cost of the structure was determined by the C&W.

Following the evaluation, the Archaeological Department of the KP government has sent the case to obtain funds to acquire the houses to the secretary of the culture department.

Pakistan govt to buy Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor's Peshawar homes: report

In September, BBC Urdu had reported that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to buy and restore the houses of Bollywood icons Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

Kapoor and Kumar, both leading actors of their generation, captivated the attention of millions throughout the subcontinent. The two migrated from Peshawar to India after the British left the area for good.

Both actors were born and raised in the city's famous Qissa Khwani (Street of Storytellers) area before they moved on to Mumbai to become Bollywood icons. Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan also has connection to Peshawar.

While Kapoor broke the hearts of millions when he passed away in 1988, Kumar is still alive and lives with his wife Saira Banu in Mumbai.

It was reported that the homes of Kapoor and Kumar are now in the hands of private owners. Officials are of the view that since three great superstars of Bollywood hail from Peshawar, it makes sense for the city to have a Bollywood museum.

"And that's exactly what they are planning — they want to turn the mansions, both more than a 100 years old, into museums which will house memorabilia on the respective actors, including Shah Rukh Khan," read the publication.

However, officials will have their work cut out for them as both mansions, more than 100 years old, are badly in need of renovation. The Kapoor mansion is falling apart with its arched windows and protruding balconies.

Kumar's house isn't exactly in great shape either. The house is now cramped into a tight alley and bears a shabby appearance with its woodwork cracked and covered in webs.

Read more: Pakistan govt to buy Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor's Peshawar homes, says report

It was reported that the homes of Kapoor and Kumar are now in the hands of private owners. Officials are of the view that since three great superstars of Bollywood hail from Peshawar, it makes sense for the city to have a Bollywood museum.

"And that's exactly what they are planning — they want to turn the mansions, both more than a 100 years old, into museums which will house memorabilia on the respective actors, including Shah Rukh Khan," read the publication.

However, officials will have their work cut out for them as both mansions, more than 100 years old, are badly in need of renovation. The Kapoor mansion is falling apart with its arched windows and protruding balconies.

Kumar's house isn't exactly in great shape either. The house is now cramped into a tight alley and bears a shabby appearance with its woodwork cracked and covered in webs.

The houses and their stories

Deewan Basheswarnath, Raj Kapoor's grandfather, built the home between 1918-1922. He was a police officer in British India, originally from what is today Faisalabad in Pakistan. However, he remained posted in Peshawar for quite some time.

Prithviraj Kapoor, Basheswarnath's son, was one of Hindi cinema's first big stars. After making a name for himself in local plays, he moved on to Mumbai in the late 1920s for greener pastures.

Raj Kapoor was born on 14 December 1924 in the same house. Shakeel Waheedullah, head of the Cultural Heritage Council of Peshawar, said the family of the legendary actor returned to the house a few times before partition to sell it.

Read more: Dilip Kumar's emotional response to Pakistan's decision to convert his ancestral house into museum

Unknown to many, Dilip Kumar was born Muhammed Yusuf Khan in 1911. His house was built by his father, who was a fruit merchant. Waheedullah said that financial losses forced his father to migrate to Mumbai where the family looked to accomplish more.

Kumar's father sold his house in Peshawar in 1930 for a sum of 5,000 rupees. Since then, it has been sold various times and is currently being used as a warehouse.