In what will be seen as symbolic as the end of an era, the famous RK Studio built from scratch by the legendary Raj Kapoor is now being sold. The decision to place the 2 acre studio located in Mumbai’s Chembur suburb was taken by the Kapoor family which includes Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna Raj Kapoor, his sons Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor and his daughters Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain. Various builders and developers have been now approached with a proposal to sell the iconic studio.
A report in Mumbai Mirror quotes Rishi Kapoor talking about the decision to sell RK Studio and the actor says that though the family did think about renovating the studio, but eventually the decision was taken to put it up for sale. The decision though an emotional one was done due to purely economical reasons. The Kapoor family felt that they would not be able to recover the investment put into renovating the studio with state-of-the-art technology to keep it up and running. Rishi Kapoor clearly states that the RK Studio was a “white elephant, toting up losses” even before it was severely damaged because of a fire which broke out last year.
A huge fire that broke out within RK Studio in 2017 had destroyed a host of precious RK Films’ memorabilia including costumes, jewellery, props and publicity material. Several famous songs and scenes in almost every RK film was shoot in RK Studio. From Raj Kapoor’s Awara (1951) to Aa Ab Laut Chalein (1999) directed by Rishi Kapoor, the studio has figured in the production of every RK film. The studio has seen the highs and lows of Raj Kapoor’s fortune at the box-office - it was mortgaged after the debacle of Mera Naam Joker, only to be bought back after the success of Bobby, in which Rishi Kapoor made his debut has a leading man.
Ranbir Kapoor has in past interviews spoken about this desire to revive RK Films and the studio. When asked if Ranbir would want to preserve the studio, Rishi Kapoor responds by saying that Ranbir should buy the studio if he has the money, but he also states that it’s now time for his son to focus on his career as an actor after the success of Sanju.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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