Legendary Bollywood star Raj Kapoor's ancestral home is likely to be demolished as the owner wants to build a commercial complex. The haveli is set in Qissa Khwani Bazar in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Earlier, Rishi Kapoor had requested the Pakistan government decided to convert the old mansion into a museum in 2018. As per a report in HT, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had agreed to Rishi Kapoor’s request of turning it into museum.
The owner Haji Muhammad Israr, a wealthy jeweller in the city said that he just wanted to demolish the property for commercial reasons. He was quoted saying, “I have sufficient money to cater to my needs. I supply around 3 to 4 maund (120kg-160kg) gold a week to the Peshawar biggest jewellery market.” He had also reportedly attempted bulldoze the mansion but met with multiple FIRs against him at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa heritage department.The Haveli was built by filmmaker Prithviraj Kapoor’s father, Basheswarnath Kapoor. Prithviraj and later, legendary filmmaker-actor, Raj Kapoor were born in this haveli. Later in the 90s, Rishi Kapoor along with his brother Randhir visited their old mansion.