A slice of Bollywood history suffered a blow on Friday night as a portion of Raj Kapoor's ancestral haveli in Pakistan's Peshawar collapsed, reportedly due to heavy rains followed by a strong earthquake.
The century-old structure, located in the bustling Qissa Khwani bazar of Peshawar, has long stood as a symbol of the legendary Kapoor family's roots in Pakistan.
Declared national heritage of Pakistan in 2016, the Kapoor Haveli has been in disrepair for years. Continuous rains weakened its walls, and tremors late Friday caused part of the building to cave in. Shakeel Waheedullah, secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa heritage council, confirmed the collapse and urged immediate restoration efforts, warning that further neglect could lead to irreparable cultural loss.
Though no casualties were reported, the incident has reignited debate over heritage preservation. Built between 1918 and 1922 by Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, the haveli was home to Prithviraj Kapoor and birthplace of Raj Kapoor. It remained central to the family's early generations until the Partition in 1947, after which it was abandoned.
Despite visits by Rishi and Randhir Kapoor in the 1990s, conservation efforts have lagged. The latest damage underscores the urgent need to safeguard one of Pakistan's most iconic monuments before history crumbles further.