PESHAWAR  -  With a documented history spanning approximately 2400 years, Peshawar carried a unique legacy as a birthplace of both local and international film stars who have left an indelible mark on the subcontinent’s cinema industry through their exceptional performances.

Often referred to as the “City of Artists,” Peshawar is the ancestral home of cinema and TV icons such as Yousaf Khan, known as Dilip Kumar, and Raj Kapoor. These legends dominated the subcontinent film industry for decades, with their names often seen as a guarantee of box office success.

The ancestral homes of these Bollywood luminaries are still located near the historic Qisakhwani Bazaar in Peshawar, where they spent significant portions of their early lives before their families migrated to British India in search of better opportunities.

The houses of these all-time great Bollywood stars are still present in the vicinity of historic Qisakhwani bazaar Peshawar where they spent most of times before their parents migrated to British India for search of better future.

Raj Kapoor’s father, Prithvi Raj was the first self-confessed Hindu Pathan belonged to Peshawar, who moved to Mumbai in 1930 where he prevailed over South Asian’s film industry both as an actor, director and producer, thereby laying the firstever Bollywood dynasty spanned about four generations.

Similarly, Shah Rukh Khan’s father, Taj Muhammad Khan was also born and raised at Qissakhwani where his celebrated son had a good time with his family members during his teenage and became a superstar of the Indian’s Bollywood.

In a 10 minutes distance from Kapoor’s Havali and Shah Rukh Khan’s father residence, there is a four- marla house of another Bollywood legend, Dilip Kumar who ruled over Indian cinema for nearly six decades with over 65 successful films on his credit.

Born at the residence of Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan at Mohallah Khudadad near Qissa Khawani Peshawar on December 11, 1922, Yousaf Khan’s film name Dilip Kumar had spent his child and adulthood in Peshawar for 13 years before migrated to Mumbai in 1935 with his father established fresh fruit business there.

“Dilip uncle was an inborn film star. He walks and talks like a super legend when he was a child in Peshawar, where his communication and leadership skills impressed me along with relatives, friends and neighbours immensely,” said Faud Ishaq, the nephew of Dilip Kumar and President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) while talking to APP.

“Yousaf Khan Lala had loved performing art and visited Cinemas for watching films at Peshawar’s during his child hood before finding an opportunity to materialize his cherished dreams of becoming a film actor in Mumbai where he was given a staged film name Dilip Kumar and soon earned a prominent place in competitive Bollywood,” said Faud Ishaq.

“Dilip Kumar’s casting was considered success of Indians’ movies especially romantic and tragic films during his six-decade long rule on Bollywood where he acted in over 65 popular films and earned the title of “King of Romance and Tragedy.”

Showed dynamic acting skills in popular movies including Naya Door (1957), Gang Jamna (1961), Deodas (1955), Kohinoor (1960), Leader (1946), Babul (1949), Andaz (1949), Paigam (1959), Foothpath (1953), Mashall (1984), Karma (1986), Dilip Kumar had made lasting imprints on the Indian cinamas and almost ever producer/director cast him as a hero.

“The history of subcontinent cinema is incomplete without Dilip Kumar,” said film and TV actor Javed Babar, pride of performance while talking to APP. Bollywood’s films history would be written before and after Dilip Kumar as he left an indelible mark on Indian films before leaving the mortal world on July 7, 2021 at Mumbai hospital.

In his autobiography “Dilip Kumar - The Substance And The Shadow”, he recounted “We were living in undivided India at the time and there was a sizeable Hindu population and the men folk as well as women mingled freely with Muslims in market square, wishing each other and exchanging pleasantries ever so cheerfully.

Faud Ishaq said  Dilip Kumar was perhaps the only actor, who received highest civil awards both by Pakistan and Indian Govt referring to Pakistan’s Civil Award “Nishan e Imtiaz” for bringing people of both the countries closers.

“Peshawar and Dilip Kumar is inseparable,” Faud Ishaq said, adding the latter his special love for Peshawarties that can be judged from his Power of Attorney in which he desired to use his ancestral house for welfare of Peshawarities.

“I can still recall that when he came to Peshawar in 1988 and 1998 was welcomed by thousands of his fans gathered at Qissa Khawani to see few glimpses of the Mughal Azam’s hero,” he said. “Dilip sahib wished to see his house in 1998 at Peshawar. So we select to visit his house between 1:30am to 2:00am (midnight) but could not enter due to jampacked Qissa Khwani and we returned back,” Faud Ishaq recalled.

Later, Dilip Kumar visited historic Balahisar Fort and taken a birds’ eyes view of Peshawar City from its rooftop before enjoying the mouthwatering Chappli Kabab, Paiye and Bakkarkhani rooti (bread) brought for him from historic Ghanta Ghar, Peshawar City, “ he said, adding he also liked traditional Peshawar’s Bhoski Qamees with white Shalwar, Teli Chappal and Karakoor cap (Jinnah Cap) and “whenever he came here used it with pride of being the son of Peshawar.”

Bakhatzada Khan, Assistant Director Archeology said that the possession of four-marla house of Dilip Kumar and six marla Havali Raj Kapoor had been taken over by KP Government in 2020 and would be converted into museums to pay tributes to the Peshawar’s great sons, adding both houses were declared as Protected Monument under Antiquity Act of 1997.

Prithviraj Kapoor, who is considered a pioneer of Indian film and theatres world and whose family has continued to entertain global audiences through cinema till date, was also born at Peshawar before migrating to India. Prithviraj’s son Raj Kapoor, who went on to become of India’s youngest and most successful actor-director was also born at Peshawar.

Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)’s paternal family also belonged to Peshawar and their house was located closed at Dilip Kumar’s house at Qissa Khwani. SRK came here on several occasions as teenager to meet his family including cusion Noor Jehan.  

“SRK’s father Taj Mohammad Mir was born and brought up in Peshawar, and they had a business in Qissa Khwani Bazaar,” said Javed Babar.

Another legendary Indian film superstar, late Vinod Khanna had also roots in Peshawar. Late Vinod Khanna was the son of Mehr Chand Khanna, a prominent businessman and former minister in Congress party. He was born in Peshawar on October 6, 1946 at Sardar area in Cantonment jurisdiction, Muhammad Ibrahim Zia, a known film historian from Peshawar said.

He said Mehr Chand Khanna, father of Vinod, belonged to a well-off family of Peshawar and had migrated to India in 1947. At the time of migration, Vinod Khanna was an infant, but he had love for his birth city.

Peshawar is also proud of producing film and TV legend Muhammad Qavi Khan who ruled over Pakistan silver screen after his famous Andara Ojala drama telecasted by PTV. Besides many other stars, Firdus Jamal and Najeebullah Anjum, Ghazal maestro Khayal Muhammad also born at Peshawar and their inclusion in dramas and films were prime choice of every producer to achieve maximum capital on box office.