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Veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s century-old ancestral house in Peshawar has collapsed owing to its dilapidated condition. Authorities, however, have said that a replica will be constructed at the site soon after.
The front and the gate of the house, situated in Mohalla Khuda Dad near the historic Qissa Khawani bazaar, are intact now, Shakeel Waheedullah, General Secretary, Cultural Heritage Council said, news agency PTI reports.
Prominent members of the city criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government for neglecting the preservation of the iconic structure even though it was declared a national heritage in 2014 by the archaeology department.
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Waheedullah said he submitted six applications to the KP government to draw their attention to the condition of the house but no action was taken.
He said Saira Bano, wife of Dilip Kumar, has been informed about the condition of the house. “Saira Bano became dejected after she came to know about the collapse of the ancestral house of Dilip Kumar,” he said.
Ehtesham Toru, President Cultural Journalist Forum KP, said it was ironic that the ancestral house was not saved from destruction.
Director of Archaeology and Museums, Abdul Samad, however, called the cave in a “blessing in disguise” as it will give them a chance to reconstruct the house. Samad said that the structure was in shambles and according to engineers, it could not be conserved.
Celebrities including, Dilip Kumar, the Kapoors, Shah Rukh Khan and Vinod Khanna belonged to Peshawar and their ancestral houses still exist in the city.
Dilip Kumar is the star of films such as Madhumati, Devdas, Naya Daur and Mughal-E-Azam. The government of Pakistan had honoured him by awarding Nisha-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian award of the country, in 1998.
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