Iconic RK Studios in Mumbai’s Chembur sold to Godrej Properties

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, May 3

The iconic RK Studios at Mumbai’s Chembur suburb has been sold to Godrej Properties which will turn the property into a mix of residential and commercial project.

According to a statement issued by Godrej Properties to the stock exchanges, the company will construct 33,000 square metres of “modern residential apartments of various configurations as well as a luxury retail experience”.

The property measuring 2.2 acres is located on the Sion-Panvel section of the Eastern Express Highway.

Godrej Properties did not reveal the price it paid for the property, industry sources pegged it in the range of Rs 50-60 crore considering the location and the size of the land parcel.

Veteran Raj Kapoor who purchased the property in 1948 had produced most of his films at the film sets constructed on the premises.

“This property in Chembur has been of tremendous significance to my family over the many decades that RK Studios has operated from there. We are excited to have chosen Godrej Properties to script a new chapter for this location and build upon its rich legacy,” Raj Kapoor’s son Randhir Kapoor said in a statement.

With the Kapoor family opting out of film production, the premises were rented out for shooting of film and television serials. However, a massive fire on the premises caused a loss of several memorabilia associated with the late Raj Kapoor’s films.

RK Films, the film production company of the Kapoors based in the RK Studios, has a long list of box office hits and canned its maiden flick ‘Aag’ in 1948. Though this movie failed at the box office, the banner found success with the next flick ‘Barsaat’ in 1949.

Most of the RK Films productions share a common theme of criticising the society and depicting love across social divides and some of the successful labels from the RK banner include ‘Awaara’, ‘Shri 420’, ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’, ‘Mera Naam Joker’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’ among others.

The last film under the RK banner was ‘Aa Ab Laut Chalen’ in January 1999.

When Raj Kapoor passed away in 1988, his elder son Randhir took over the studios. Later his younger brother Rajiv directed a film titled ‘Prem Granth’. Even Rishi tried his hands on direction with ‘Aa Ab Laut Chalen’.