The World Bank will provide financial support for the conservation of the ancestral houses of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, located in Peshawar, Pakistan.
This was informed by Pakistani authorities on Friday.
“The physical work on the project is set to begin in four months with an initial budget allocation of Rs 200 million,” Dr Abdus Samad, Director of Archaeology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said.
He said that the funding will come from the World Bank’s ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project’.
The conservation work will focus on restoring the historical sites to their original form and establishing state-of-the-art museums in both houses located in the historic Qissa Khwani bazaar.
These museums will open their doors to the public to increase awareness of the significant contributions made by Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor to the Indian film industry.
Raj Kapoor’s haveli is situated in the Dhakki Dalgaran area, while Dilip Kumar’s ancestral residence is in Mohallah Khudadad. Both properties are less than half a mile apart within Qissa Khwani bazaar.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Archaeology and Museums took possession of these ancestral homes in 2021 after their ownership was legally transferred to the provincial government.
ALSO READ: Former Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu to make Bollywood debut with Tiger Shroff’s ‘Baaghi 4’
Both residences are now officially the properties of the Directorate of Archaeology. The directorate also compensated the owners, with Raj Kapoor’s haveli valued at Rs 11.5 million and Dilip Kumar’s house at Rs 7.2 million.
