Within the slim lanes of Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar stands a constructing that’s the ancestral house of Bollywood’s iconic Kapoor khandan.
Constructed between 1918 and 1922 by Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, the stately mansion was the place his son, the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor, grew up — and the place the roots of Indian cinema have been first planted. The partitions of this outdated haveli have witnessed the beginnings of a dynasty that might give the world stars like Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, in addition to later generations which have formed Bollywood’s golden period.
However time has not been form.
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Intricate jharokhas nonetheless adorn the home (Supply: Wikimedia Commons)
Locals now check with it as a “ghost home.” Deserted for years, battered by storms and earthquakes, the haveli’s once-glorious façade — its intricate balconies and delicate floral carvings — is slowly giving method to mud. Every monsoon that passes brings somewhat extra decay, somewhat extra heartbreak.
In 2018, there was a flicker of hope. After Rishi Kapoor personally requested it, Pakistan’s Overseas Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi assured him that the federal government would protect Kapoor Haveli and switch it right into a museum.
For followers and heritage lovers throughout borders, it felt like a victory. Right here was a possibility to rejoice a shared cultural heritage that transcended politics. However someplace between guarantees and paperwork, motion stalled. Years later, the haveli nonetheless stands dangerously near collapsing.
The interior courtyard of the Kapoor haveli (Supply: Wikimedia Commons)
In response to Pakistani newspaper Daybreak, the highest three flooring of the haveli have been demolished within the late 90s “as a consequence of cracks created by an earthquake in its higher portion as a consequence of its location on steep mound.”
The four-storey haveli nonetheless retains a few of its outdated grandeur, with the interior courtyard just about intact, resulting in a number of rooms. One of many staircases has additionally been photographed earlier than in good situation, although fairly steep.
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The tug of struggle over Kapoor haveli
Right now, the constructing belongs to Haji Muhammad Israr, a rich jeweller who has totally different plans for the property. Whereas heritage officers dream of conservation, Israr envisions a sprawling industrial complicated rising as a substitute.
He has tried a number of occasions previously to deliver down the haveli’s weakened construction, however every try was halted by heritage authorities who filed FIRs to cease the demolition.
A steep staircase within the four-storey constructing (Supply: Wikimedia Commons)
“I don’t want the cash,” Israr mentioned in a earlier interview with PTI, noting that he provides round 120–160 kg of gold weekly to Peshawar’s largest jewelry market.
Opposite to earlier rumours, Israr insists there’s no worth dispute with the federal government. He merely doesn’t share their imaginative and prescient of what this place ought to characterize.
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The haveli’s estimated worth stands at over Rs 5 crore — however its emotional and historic price? Immeasurable.