ExcIusive Photos Show How The RK Studio Fire Gutted ‘Everything’

The fire mishap at the RK Studio destroyed every memory Raj Kapoor made with the studio.

RK Studio after the fire mishap.

(Photo: The Quint/Vanshika Sood)

On 16 September 2017, at 2.22 PM the RK studio, Mumbai was seen sending plumes of black smoke which looked uncontrollable for 15 firefighters and five water tankers who reached the spot within 10 minutes of the fire being reported.

As I stood at the gates of the studio today just a day after the fire mishap, on a Monday afternoon, life had gone back to normal. The gate of the studio stood firm as it did back in 1948. The gate was being guarded by five security guards, who had been instructed not to talk to any media person, and not let any media person enter the gate. While having a conversation with one of the guards, I got to know that the fire went out of control in no time and left nothing except ruins.

It all came as a surprise, we were doing our duty as we do it on a regular day when suddenly one of my co-workers noticed the fire. The first thing we did is called the fire brigade. They came in very little time but the fire went out of control. Within an hour the building collapsed, there was a shoot which happened in the morning in the very same studio that also got burnt completely. Nothing is left except for the ruins. 

Security Guard

Debris of the RK Studio in Mumbai.  (Photo: The Quint/Vanshika Sood)

While talking to Mumbai Mirror, Rishi Kapoor, son of Raj Kapoor, told that every costume of the films shot under the RK banner has been destroyed. Iconic joker mask from the movie Mera Naam Joker which marked the start of Rishi Kapoor’s career has been burnt to ashes. Just the memory of the incident is enough to give the Kapoor Khandan tremors as it was the dream project of their father. Raj Kapoor and the stage where the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood like Mera Naam Joker, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Dharam Karam, Prem Rog and many others were shot.

Rishi Kapoor also shared a memory of his first time in the RK studio which is devastated now. He was just 2 years old when he shot with his siblings Randhir Kapoor and Ritu Kapoor for the song Pyaar Hua Iqraar Hua from the film Shree 420. Rishi Kapoor (who is 65), now has 63 years of memories with the studio. The actor who is deeply battered by the loss of a place which was the reflection of his father and childhood doesn’t know how to recollect the memories.

As it’s rightly said, money cannot buy happiness, the Kapoor family is ready to get the studio back in shape but are still stuck with the questions of how are they going to restore the precious memorabilia. From the famous joker mask from Mera Naam Joker to the jewellery of Padmini from Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai everything has been engulfed in fire. Raj Kapoor, who considered cinema his religion, had invested all his earnings in making the iconic RK Studio.

RK Studio gutted in fire on 16 September 2017.  (Photo: The Quint/Vanshika Sood)

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