Pakistani Fans Honour Raj Kapoor’s 100th Birth Anniversary at His Peshawar Birthplace, Cut Cake

Celebrations at the historic Kapoor Haveli include cake-cutting, rare photographs, and calls for preserving cinematic heritage.

December 15, 2024: Pakistani fans and cultural enthusiasts came together on Saturday to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of legendary Bollywood actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor. The event was held at Kapoor Haveli, his ancestral home in Peshawar’s historic Qissa Khawani Bazaar, where Kapoor was born.

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The highlight of the celebration was a heartfelt cake-cutting ceremony, symbolising the shared cinematic and cultural history between India and Pakistan. Organised by the Cultural Heritage Council (CHC) and the Directorate of Archaeology Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the event emphasised the significance of Kapoor’s legacy and his birthplace’s enduring ties to Indian cinema.

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Restoration of Kapoor Haveli

A major announcement marked the occasion: the World Bank will allocate ₹100 million each for restoring the ancestral homes of Raj Kapoor and fellow Bollywood icon Dilip Kumar, also located in Peshawar. Both homes are considered vital landmarks, connecting the city to the golden era of Indian cinema and solidifying its role in nurturing some of Bollywood’s biggest legends.

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Rare Photographs and Tributes

Ibrahim Zia, a prominent writer and researcher of Indian cinema, presented rare photographs of Raj Kapoor from his childhood and adolescent years in Peshawar. He detailed Kapoor’s illustrious career, which began in the 1940s, and praised his versatility across genres—romance, comedy, and tragedy—that earned him the title of the “Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema”.

The Kapoor Haveli, standing near the ancestral homes of other Bollywood luminaries like Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, reflects Peshawar’s deep-rooted contribution to Indian cinematic history. Kumar, renowned for his naturalistic acting, and Khan, a modern Bollywood superstar, further underscore the city’s unique connection to generations of film legends.

Calls to Preserve Cinematic Heritage

The event’s attendees, including Muhammad Hussain Haidery, Secretary of the Pak-Iran Trade and Investment Council, called for greater efforts to commemorate Kapoor’s legacy and preserve Peshawar’s historic landmarks. They expressed hope that Kapoor Haveli, alongside other ancestral homes, will serve as permanent tributes to the rich cinematic and cultural heritage shared across borders.

Raj Kapoor’s centenary celebration at his birthplace not only honored his unparalleled contribution to cinema but also reinforced Peshawar’s role as a cherished cornerstone of film history.

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