Photos of Dilip Kumar’s ancestral home in Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Pakistan have gone viral on the internet and they make for a sorry picture. His house is falling apart and is in worst condition, Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune reported.
The only remnants of the structure are the main gate and part of the front wall.The people living close by, who once admired the house for its history and its association with the veteran actor, now find it a nuisance as it’s used as a dumping ground by people passing by and local residents. Local shopkeepers use it as a storage space.
According to an India Today report, in 2013, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had ordered the ministry of national heritage to restore the building. It was also proclaimed a heritage monument a year later.
There is little left of the building. Government officials say they have to reconstruct the structure from the very bases, Express Tribune reported. The officials said they were currently working on paperwork on Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar’s houses to restore them under the city wall project.
The legendary actor had mentioned the house and the fond memories attached with it, in his autobiography, Substance and Shadow. According to The Express Tribune, his house is now nothing but a dilapidated structure and no substantial efforts have been made by the Pakistani authorities to restore or protect the house whatsoever. Director of Archaeology and Museums However, Dr Abdul Samad stated that Kumar’s house will soon be restored under the K-P Antiquities Act 2016.