A candle vigil was held outside veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s ancestral home, near the historic Qissar Khwani bazar, in Peshawar, Pakistan on Wednesday, 6 December.
The Kapoor Haveli, situated in the Dhaki Nalbandi area in the interiors of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, was built by Kapoor’s grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Singh Kapoor in the early 20th century, who lived in the city.
Cultural Heritage Council (CHC) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa paid tributes to the Hindi cinema star, who passed away on 4 December at the age of 79.
The meet was attended by several people from different walks of life, including cinema lovers.
Speaking on the occasion, CHC secretary Shakeel Waheedullah said the veteran actor always remembered Peshawar as the home of his ancestors. It was the love for his roots that prompted Kapoor to visit the city back in 2000.
Shakeel added, “Peshawarites have great love and respect for the Kapoor family and Bollywood actors belonging to the ancient city.”
Historian Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, who has penned 'Peshawar Ke Fankaar', a book on Bollywood actors hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, threw light on the Kapoor clan's connection with Peshawar.
He said Prithiviraj Kapoor, father of Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi, used to go to Bombay (now Mumbai) from Peshawar to work in films. It was in 1942 that the head of Kapoor family sold the house and migrated to Mumbai.
Despite leaving Peshawar, the Kapoors always fondly remembered the city. Raj Kapoor had even expressed desire to visit his childhood home before his death.
(The article has been edited for length.)
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