Raj Kapoor’s historic Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar suffers damage after heavy rains, tremors

Peshawar: A portion of the historic haveli of legendary Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor collapsed in Peshawar reportedly due to recent heavy rains followed by a strong earthquake on Friday night, officials and local residents said.

The century-old Kapoor Haveli, a significant cultural site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that was declared national heritage by the Pakistan government in 2016, suffered structural damage after continuous rains weakened the building, while tremors late Friday further destabilised its already dilapidated structure.

Shakeel Waheedullah, secretary of heritage council KPK province, said that a section of the haveli’s wall caved in after the quake, raising concerns over the safety of the remaining structure.

There were no casualties or injuries reported in the incident.

Waheedullah urged the archaeology department and the provincial government to take immediate steps for the restoration and preservation of the historic building, warning that further neglect could result in irreparable loss to the region’s cultural heritage.

Kapoor Haveli, located in the heart of famed Qissa Khwani bazar in Peshawar city, holds immense historical significance and is one of the most notable monuments in Pakistan. The estate has long been in a state of disrepair despite calls for its conservation.

The estate was the home to Prithviraj Kapoor -- the first member of the Kapoor clan to enter the film industry. The house was built by his father, Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, between 1918 and 1922. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born here.

The Kapoor haveli was one of the finest architectures of its time. The house consisted of 40 rooms. The front of the house was adorned with intricate floral motifs and jharokhas.

While the house is now in an extremely delicate condition, its beauty still stands out, even after years of being left abandoned.

It was the same haveli in which Raj Kapoor's two younger siblings were born but they died in 1931.

Raj Kapoor's brothers Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor were born in India.

Nonetheless, they often visited and even lived in the haveli. While the building witnessed the lives of early generations of the Kapoors, it was left abandoned in 1947 after the Partition.

Like many other families, Raj Kapoor also moved to India after the Partition, leaving behind the city, the buildings and the memories of his childhood.

His sons Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor had visited the site in the 1990s.