2nd May 2023: There’s no one who is not familiar with the name of the legendary actor and film maker of Hindi film industry late Raj Kapoor, also known as the Charlie Chaplin of the film industry. He has always been a big name but recently his ancestral home, the Kapoor Haveli is in news. Read on to know more.
Peshawar high court has dismissed the petition of seeking ownership over late Raj Kapoor’s Haveli. The Kapoor Haveli is located in famous Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar, Pakistan. The Haveli was build between 1918 to 1922 by Raj Kapoor’s grandfather Dewan Bashehwarnath Kapoor, the legendary actor was born in that Haveli.
The house was declared a national heritage in 2016 by the government. The Haveli is said to be auctioned in 1969 and the current owner of the property wants to demolish the dilapidated Haveli, to construct commercial plaza. The counsel of the petitioner claims that theirs no legal documents to prove that Late Raj Kapoor and his family lived in that house. The court said the matter will be taken to a civil court. However, the demolition of the property is stopped by the archaeology department keeping in view the historical importance of the mansion.
The Kapoor Haveli carries a lot of national history with it and the courts decision to save it from demolition seems to fair as it is important to save the history of the world to look back too. The decision came after the judgement of the same court related to the acquisition process of legendary actor Dilip Kumar’s Haveli in Peshawar. His home was also declared a national heritage property in 2016.
Raj Kapoor has given us greatest movies like Shree 420, Awara, Bobby, and how can anyone forget Mera Naam Joker. He passed away on 2nd June, 1988, after suffering an acute asthma attack, but his evergreen legacy is still alive.