How can Bollywood's Kapoor khandaan sell off RK Studios with all the memories it holds
Certain pieces of news are so disturbing that they leave you unsettled for a long time. The news of the sale of nearly 70-year-old RK Studios has left me thinking what the Bollywood’s first family is up to.
If you are a film enthusiast, it is imperative for you to share at least an acquaintance with RK Studios. I'm no exception.
Bollywood’s Kapoor family has collectively decided to sell the iconic RK Studios, which is toting up losses. Who would have ever thought that the breathtaking journey of RK Studios, which houses the logistics of the RK Films production company, founded by and named after actor and film-maker late Raj Kapoor, will have such a poignant end?
I had always wanted to visit RK Studios. This may be laughable to some, but I used to imagine that someone from the famous Kapoor khandaan would share anecdotes of the days, tales of love and family time spent during the filming of movies at the studio. I imagined it to be a heart-to-heart conversation over a cup of tea or coffee.
However, the curtain has fallen on the RK Studios.
In September 2017, a massive fire broke out at the studio and left a part of it gutted.
Many hit films including Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956) and Prem Rog (1982) were shot at the iconic studio. It has also witnessed many juicy romance stories take shape within its premises.
A close friend, who stays in Mumbai, told me that the Kapoor family welcomes the idol of Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi at the studio. The full Kapoor khandaan celebrates Holi with great fervour at the same place every year.
#RanbirKapoor at RK Studios's #GanpatiVisarjan!Live updates: https://t.co/6pz92ohAB8 pic.twitter.com/UnsExVEKl2
— Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) September 23, 2018
Remembering her childhood days, actress Kareena Kapoor said, “We have grown up walking around in those corridors.”
Is it then advisable for the Kapoors to sell the property then? Who does that?
I feel more than a monetary loss, the selling of this heritage, will be a personal loss for the Kapoors.
Reports suggest, days after the studio closed down, Krishna Raj Kapoor, wife of Raj Kapoor, known as Bollywood’s first lady, passed away due to cardiac arrest.
Actor Rishi Kapoor, who started his career at the age of 18 with Mera Naam Joker, and recently hit headlines for his poor health, said, “We had to place a stone on our hearts to take a decision to sell the property.”
“For a while, we did juggle with the idea of renovating the place with state-of-the-art technology. However, in reality it isn’t always possible for a phoenix to rise from the ashes,” he said.
I personally feel that it may not be practical to keep the studio as it is no longer economically viable to do so. Keeping it involves a high maintenance cost.
But is money everything?
How can the Kapoors sell off the memories that are an integral part and parcel of their lives?
How could they ignore the father-son, director-actor bonding that the three brothers (Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor) enjoyed?