On the iconic RK Studio sale, late actor Raj Kapoor eldest son Randhir Kapoor told The Quint that that it is an "emotional loss for the family than monetary loss" and the entire family is sad about it. The RK Studio in Mumbai's Chembur was set up by Raj Kapoor in 1948. Last year, a massive fire broke out at the studio, leaving an area gutted. Speaking to The Quint, Randhir Kapoor said, "We had to dismantle the entire place after the fire. It's even more an emotional loss than monetary loss. We have lost the entire memorabilia of Raj Kapoor. Whatever Raj Kapoor had built has been burnt down. Everything is gone."
2017 September 16th. Gutted by a devastating inferno. Scars shall remain but will build a state of the art studio. pic.twitter.com/MyKKCfhgBr
— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) September 19, 2017
Over the weekend, Rishi Kapoor confirmed that they have decided to sell off the studio "taking the larger picture into account." Adding more to it, Randhir Kapoor told The Quint, "With the state of the roads and traffic today, no actor comes to Chembur to shoot in this studio. They would rather go to Film City. So, with a very heavy heart, we have decided to let it go. My whole family is very sad, but there's no other way."
A Studio can be built again but the loss of the irreplaceable memorabilia and costumes of all RK Films,is tragic for all. Fire took it away
— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) September 16, 2017
After Raj Kapoor's death, Randhir Kapoor took over the studio. Aag, which released in 1948, was the first film to have been produced by RK Films and the next was Barsaat.
Of the decision to sell RK Studio, Rishi Kapoor had told Mumbai Mirror, "The investment in rebuilding the studio would just not have yielded sufficient revenue to keep it going. Believe me, we had to take the larger picture into account and take a level-headed decision. Even before the fire, for years RK Studio had become a huge white elephant, toting up losses. The few bookings we would get from films, TV serials and ad shoots would expect free parking space, air-conditioning and discounts."
1950.RK Studios stage No:1 being readied for Dusserah inauguration with the film Awara. Dream sequence was to be shot pic.twitter.com/340cf8bAJP
— Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) September 19, 2017
Meanwhile, Kareena Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor's daughter, appeared to have little information about the sale and said that if it's happening, it should totally be the family's decision. "I don't know how far what is actually happening. In fact, I have been quite under the weather and I haven't even met my father in the last four or five days. But of course, we have all grown up walking around in those corridors. I think it's probably something that the family has decided, so it's up to my father, his brothers and up to them... If that's what they have decided, so be it," she told news agency IANS.
(With IANS inputs)
