By: AswathyP
Not many people would know that before the partition the Kapoor family used to stay in Peshawar which is currently a part of Pakistan. They had a house there which is known as Kapoor Haveli. The Kapoor Haveli was built by Basheswarnath Kapoor, the father of late legendary actor Prithviraj Kapoor. Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor both were born in the Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar.
Well, currently the property is owned by someone else, but the Pakistan government had promised that the Kapoor Haveli will be converted into a museum. However, due to financial issues that won’t be happening. It was in 2018 when the Pakistan government had announced about converting the house into a museum on Rishi Kapoor’s request. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had assured Rishi Kapoor that the Pakistan government will convert the actor’s house into a museum.
The sources in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Heritage Department told PTI that the department was ready with a plan in which the haveli’s front would be preserved and its inner portion was supposed to be repaired and renovated. However, due to the lack of financial resources, the plan was never implemented.
The news of Rishi Kapoor’s demise sent a wave of sadness and grief among people in Peshawar. A lot of people visited the Kapoor Haveli to express their grief and condolence over his demise.
Pervaiz Ahmad, a city dweller stated, “We had no relation with Rishi Kapoor, but had a liking for him because of watching him as a film hero from childhood and due to his connection with a place which is also a birthplace of me. Rishi’s death has saddened me a lot.”
“Perhaps the feeling expressed by Pervaiz portrays sentiments of all the dwellers of Peshawar over the sad demise of Rishi,” said Ibrahim Zia, a historian who wrote a book titled Peshawar ki Funkar.
Well, we can clearly say that Rishi Kapoor had not just left a mark with films in India, but also had fans in the neighbouring country.
