Dilip Kumar's nephew thankful to PM Imran Khan for preserving Indian legend's ancestral home

• Indian actor Dilip Kumar's nephew, Fawad Ishaq, expresses gratitude to PM Imran Khan for preserving the legend's ancestral home
• Says Dilip Kumar's attachment to his hometown never diminished and that the seasoned actor had wished to donate his house
• "He loves his hometown very much," the nephew notes, referring to Peshawar and the famous and historical Qissa Khawani Bazaar
• The Indian legend's residence was declared a national heritage site by the federal government of Pakistan in 2013

KARACHI: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar's nephew, Fawad Ishaq, has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for preserving the Indian legend's ancestral home in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar of Peshawar.

Speaking to Geo News, Ishaq said Dilip Kumar's attachment to his hometown never diminished and that the seasoned actor had wished to donate his house — for which he had also given a power of attorney.

"He loves his hometown very much," the renowned actor's nephew stated, referring to Peshawar and the famous and historical Qissa Khawani Bazaar's Khudadad neighbourhood, which used to be a residential area earlier but is now a big business centre.

Popularly known as Dilip Kumar, Muhammad Yusuf Khan was born in this house on December 11, 1922, and moved to Bombay with his family in 1930. In 2013, the Indian actor's residence was declared a national heritage site by the federal government of Pakistan.

Dilip Kumar had visited his ancestral home in 1988, kissing the doorstep and reminiscing his childhood while speaking to the media.

In 1997, when the Indian legend was awarded Pakistan's highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, he had wanted to go to his ancestral home in Peshawar but was unable to do so due to the overwhelming rush of people coming to greet him.

Kapoor Haveli — the former residence of another Indian actor, the late Raj Kapoor — is also located in Peshawar, in the Dilgaran area.

A generation of Kapoor family, which gave many superstars to Bollywood, was born in this mansion that was built between 1918 and 1922 by Raj Kapoor's father, Dewan Kapoor.