Kishore Kumar's Ancestral Home To Be Demolished

The Ganguli House in Khandwa, the ancestral house of legendary singer Kishore Kumar, will be demolished by Khandwa municipal corporation.

A notice, announcing the demolition was pasted at the two-storey house where brothers - Ashok, Anoop and Kishore - spent their childhood.

The notice stated that “The house is in a dilapidated condition and can fall down anytime, causing harm to people. It is not fit for habitation and should be vacated and within 24 hours. Otherwise, the corporation will forcibly vacate the house and raze the structure.” The caretaker Sitaram, who is living in the house for the past four decades, saw the notice and informed Arjun Kumar, son of Anoop Kumar, in Mumbai.

While talking to HT over phone, Arjun Kumar said, “A similar notice was served last year and in 2013. I agree that the house is in bad shape but it can’t be a danger for anyone else. As it is the rainy season it’s not possible for us to renovate it. Without our permission they can’t demolish it.”

HT recently visited the house located in the heart of Khandwa. There are 13 shops in the front and rear portion of the compound. The house itself has 14 rooms. Caretaker Sitaram said, “The house need renovation but it shouldn’t be demolished as a large number of fans visit the house to have a feel of early life of Kishore Kumar.”

“Kishore Kumar with his wife spent many vacations in Khandwa in this haveli. After his death, hardly anybody came to see the house. Kishore Kumar had handed over this house to his brother Anoop Kumar and now his son Arjun Kumar is its custodian,” he added.

Over the years, the Madhya Pradesh government has shown interest in converting the house into a museum.

In October 2012, then culture minister Laxmikant Sharma said they wanted to convert it into a museum so that people can take inspiration from it. However, the project didn’t materialise. In 2014, there were rumours that the present owners wanted to sell out this house.

Municipal corporation engineer Ishwar Chanderi said, “Kishore Kumar’s fans come to see his house and it could be dangerous for their lives as the house is in dilapidated condition. There is an urgent need to demolish it.”

(with inputs from Sunil Kerhalkar)