Randhir Kapoor on selling out RK Studios: We have an emotional attachment with what our father had built, but this was the need of the hour

The iconic 71-year-old RK Studios will now be turned into a swanky residential complex-cum-shopping plaza by its new owner, realty major Godrej Properties Ltd. The 2.20 acres RK Studios premises in Chembur, which was founded in 1948, was sold to GPL after it was gutted in a major fire on September 16, 2017. The deal was inked for an undisclosed amount with Bollywood's Kapoor clan, and they now plan to convert it into a modern residential apartments complex and a luxury retail centre spread over a saleable area of around 350,000 sq. feet.

Veteran Bollywood actor Randhir Kapoor, son of the legendary Raj Kapoor who founded the RK Studio said, "This property in Chembur, has been of tremendous significance to my family over the many decades that RK Studios has operated from there. We are excited to have chosen GPL to script a new chapter for this location and build upon its rich history."

According to sources, work on the designs for the mega-project will start shortly and after obtaining the necessary approvals, the construction of the housing-cum-shopping complex could begin by early 2020. Incidentally, the studio property sale deal comes barely eight months after late Raj Kapoor's widow, Krishna, passed away at the age of 87, on October 1, 2018.

Soon after the blaze, which also reduced to ashes precious memorabilia and costumes from the RK Films and Studios banner films over the past seven decades, the Kapoor family had expressed their inability to revive it or continue maintaining it.

Speaking to Bombay Times, Randhir Kapoor said, We sold the property about six-seven months ago. It was a decision that we had taken and it was only a matter of time before we would execute things. It was becoming difficult to manage it, although we did everything for its upkeep. The fire in 2017 gutted down everything of importance there, and from that point onwards, it became harder. My father believed in moving on with time; he always said that the show must go on, come what may. That is exactly what we did when it came to RK Studios. We all have an emotional attachment with what our father had built for us, but this was the need of the hour. The property was in good hands in the past and it continues to be in good hands even now. My best wishes are with the new owners. I hope they will respect the legacy of the land that they have bought from us.

The RK Studios was the shooting venue for some classics of RK Films like Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Jaagte Raho (1956), Anari (1959), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) and many more. Raj Kapoor passed away in June 1988 after which some of his incomplete films like Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1989) Henna (1991) were also made here.

Inputs from IANS

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