The ancestral homes of legendary Indian actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in Pakistan’s Peshawar city can collapse any time after recent rains and an earthquake weakened the already dilapidated structures, heritage experts and locals said on Sunday.
Both houses in the capital city of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were declared national heritage sites by the government of Pakistan in 2016.
With pre-monsoon showers and the rainy season approaching, experts urged the government to take immediate steps for preservation of the landmark buildings.
The century-old Kapoor Haveli, located in Dhaki Nalbandi in the historic Qissa Khwani Bazar area, suffered structural damage after continuous rains weakened the building, while tremors from the April 3 earthquake further destabilised the structure.
Dilip Kumar’s ancestral house in Mohallah Khudadad area is also in a critical condition, with roofs of several rooms already caved in and walls crumbling with every rainfall.
Shakil Waheedullah, secretary of the non-profit Cultural Heritage Council, KPK, told PTI that authorities had failed to preserve the historic structures.
“The government, instead of preserving the historical landmarks, has abandoned the structures which are rapidly deteriorating,” he told PTI.
In 2021-22, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approved the release of PKR 2.35 crore to purchase both houses and directed the Archaeology Department to convert them into museums after procurement.
In July 2025, the provincial government approved PKR 33.8 million for restoration and conservation of the two buildings.
However, there has been no progress in over five years after the decision.
“The government cannot carry out the preservation work due to a lack of funds and other resources. The government is serious in converting both the heritage buildings into museums in the name of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar,” a provincial government official said on condition of anonymity.
Residents and heritage activists said the houses now awaited urgent restoration instead of official assurances.
Abid Hussain, who runs a printing shop next to Kapoor Haveli, expressed concern over the condition of the building.
“Heavy rains and strong earthquake tremors in recent months have severely weakened the structure, leaving deep cracks in its walls and foundations that could trigger a major accident at any moment,” Hussain said.
Kapoor Haveli was the home of Prithviraj Kapoor, the first member of the Kapoor family 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 there.