Mumbai: The Iconic RK Studio Built By Raj Kapoor is now up for sale, the historic studio that was built by late legendary actor-director will soon be up for sale. The Kapoor family has decided to sell off the landmark studio as it wasn’t economically viable to rebuild it after it was gutted down in a fire last year.
According to leading newspaper reported that Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna Raj Kapoor, sons Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi, and daughters Rima Jain and Ritu Nanda, have collectively decided to sell the sprawling two-acre studio in Mumbai’s suburban Chembur.
In what will be seen as symbolic as the end of an era, the famous RK Studio built from scratch by the legendary Raj Kapoor is now being sold. The decision to place the 2 acre studio located in Mumbai’s Chembur suburb was taken by the Kapoor family which includes Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna Raj Kapoor, his sons Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor and his daughters Ritu Nanda and Rima Jain.
Various builders and developers have been now approached with a proposal to sell the iconic studio.
A report in English newspaper quotes Rishi Kapoor talking about the decision to sell RK Studio and the actor says that though the family did think about renovating the studio, but eventually the decision was taken to put it up for sale.
A decision though an emotional one was done due to purely economic reasons. The Kapoor family felt that they would not be able to recover the investment put into renovating the studio with state-of-the-art technology to keep it up and running.
Rishi Kapoor clearly states that the RK Studio was a “white elephant, toting up losses” even before it was severely damaged because of a fire which broke out last year.
A huge fire that broke out within RK Studio in 2017 had destroyed a host of precious RK Films’ memorabilia including costumes, jewellery, props and publicity material.
Several famous songs and scenes in almost every RK film was shoot in RK Studio. From Raj Kapoor’s Awara (1951) to Aa Ab Laut Chalein (1999) directed by Rishi Kapoor, the studio has figured in the production of every RK film.
The studio has seen the highs and lows of Raj Kapoor’s fortune at the box-office-it was mortgaged after the debacle of ‘Mera Naam Joker’, only to be bought back after the success of ‘Bobby’, in which Rishi Kapoor made his debut has a leading man.
Ranbir Kapoor has in past interviews spoken about this desire to revive RK Films and the studio. When asked if Ranbir would want to preserve the studio, Rishi Kapoor responds by saying that Ranbir should buy the studio if he has the money, but he also states that it’s now time for his son to focus on his career as an actor after the success of Sanju.
Kapoor told media person that there was a desire to rebuild the studio with “state-of-the-art technology”, but it didn’t come up as a practical decision. Rishi said that the family took a level-headed decision after taking into account the larger picture.
He added that for years now, R.K. Studio was incurring losses and the few bookings they would get from films, TV serials and ad shoots would expect free parking space, air-conditioning and discounts.
Iconic 70-year-old RK Studio built by Raj Kapoor will be soon put up for sale:
Kapoor explained that the investment in rebuilding the studio would just not have yielded sufficient revenue for it to function.
Another reason is that Chembur in the eastern suburbs is no longer a favoured destination for filmmakers as most of them build their sets in Goregaon and Andheri.
In the past, top filmmakers like Manmohan Desai and Dev Anand’s Navketan Films would hire the studio for their film shootings.
An emotional Rishi Kapoor said in an interview that if the next generation of Kapoor has family differences then the studio would only end up in litigation.
He said that the studio will become a subject of courtroom proceedings that certainly the late Raj Kapoor wouldn’t have wanted.
The iconic RK Studio built by late legendary actor will soon be up for sale.
The Kapoor family has decided to sell off the landmark studio as it wasn’t economically viable to rebuild it after it was gutted down in a fire last year.
On September 16 last year, a major fire broke out on the sets of “Super Dancer” at the studio in which its ground floor was gutted. No casualty was reported in the mishap.
Rishi Kapoor told journalist that there was a desire to rebuild the studio with “state-of-the-art technology”, but it didn’t come up as a practical decision. Rishi said that the family took a level-headed decision after taking into account the larger picture.
He added that for years now, R. K. Studio was incurring losses and the few bookings they would get from films, TV serials and ad shoots would expect free parking space, air-conditioning and discounts.
Kapoor explained that the investment in rebuilding the studio would just not have yielded sufficient revenue for it to function.
R.K. Studio was founded and named after the Great Showman, Raj Kapoor, in 1948.
The RK banner has made films like “Aag”, “Barsaat”, “Awaara”, “Shri 420”, “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai”, “Mera Naam Joker”, “Bobby”, “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”, among others. The last film made under the banner was Rishi Kapoor-directed “Aa Ab Laut Chalen”.
