From ad shoots to house tours; owners of Nawabi-era structures in Lucknow devise novel ways to preserve history

As per the owners of these architecturally-striking houses, preserving these structures is like maintaining old white elephants as the maintenance cost is very high.

LUCKNOW Century-old houses in Old Lucknow that are neither heritage buildings nor supported by conservation grants are finding novel ways to raise money for their upkeep. Some with picturesque interiors are rented out for photo and film shoots, or their owners have started giving short tours to the tourists to generate revenue for their high maintenance, thereby creating a self-sustaining revenue model.

Some structures are rented out for photo and film shoots. (HT Photo)

As per the owners of these architecturally-striking houses, preserving these structures is like maintaining old white elephants as the maintenance cost is very high. This World Heritage Day, HT took a tour of some of these houses and spoke with their current owner about their maintenance and ways forward. These were built during the 19th and 20th centuries under Qaisarbagh Palace and went through ruins after the 1857 uprising. These buildings, dilapidated after 1857, were given to Talukdars by the Britishers during that time, said Aditi Chakravarty, blogger and writer of ‘Rehaish–At Home In Lucknow’.

Finding a business plan

Tucked away near the Akbari Gate area on Abdul Aziz Road and aged over 100 years old, Kothi Ahmad Manzil was built in 1922 by Khan Bahadur Ahmad Hussain Rizvi of the erstwhile Ahmad Hussain Dildar Hussain tobacco manufactures. “It comprises a Kothi and residential portions of the beneficiaries of the Waqf. It is so big that it is almost like preserving a white elephant,” says Tahira Saad Rizvi, daughter-in-law of the ancestral family and daughter of Firangi Mahal.

Likewise, sprawling in 1.2 lakhs square feet area, the owners of Salempur House behind the Safed Baradari which was also built under Qaisarbagh Palace in 1857. “A portion of the building has been given for ad and film shoots. Movies like ‘Bullet Raja’ in 2013 and ‘Yeh Ishq Nahi’ were shot here,” said Syed Rushdi Hasan, son of owner Raja Sayeed Taqi Hasan.

The owners recently hosted a literary festival titled ‘Begum Fest’ on the building premises to create awareness among the youth. “However, we’re picky in giving this property for commercial work as we try to give it to them who portray a positive image for such old structures and show Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb,” said Hasan.

Similarly, Kotwara House in Qaisar Bagh built in 1848 by Nawab Wazid Ali Shah is maintained by its current owner filmmaker Muzzafar Ali known for his 1981 film ‘Umrao Jaan’ and 1978 film ‘Gaman’ which he inherited from his grandfather Raja Raza Hussain.

Ali lives in this house with his wife Meera Ali, a fashion designer. The house, which still holds its history intact even after 175 years, says maintaining such a big house is difficult and expensive. “However, I have never relied on any grants. Rather I have put in my own money for its maintenance,” he said.

The couple has recently started a tour package for their house. “We have given this to one of the tour companies where selected and interested people can come and visit our house with some amount of charges. The visitors can revive the traditional craftsmanship of Lucknow inside the house where some old paintings of mine, calligraphy, and costumes and props used in filmmaking are kept,” he added.

One can also enjoy short dance clips from Muzaffar’s landmark films including Umrao Jaan over a cup of hot tea/coffee. “The funds are collected in Kotwara Welfare Trust. The money is used in the maintenance of the building.” Ali, however, feels that the government should look into the depleting old structures in the city as encroachment, traffic, and lack of their maintenance remains big worry for them.

Challenges due to multiple owners

“Such properties are usually owned by multiple owners, hence, coming to a unanimous decision to give it on rent for commercial activity is a bit difficult,” opines Sheeba Iqubal, one of the owners of white Kothi Azim Ali, next to Idrees Biryani in Chowk. Sheeba who is a chef by profession opened an eatery in her house in 2018 to generate revenue and likewise treat the heritage enthusiast to take a look at her house but she had to close down due to disagreement with other family members. She believes the government should come up with some grants for such buildings.

Suggestions from heritage enthusiasts

Aditi has written about many such old houses in Lucknow. According to her, the owners of such houses have to start living in those properties. Usually, people shift to other cities or high-rise buildings and sell them. She lauds Jyotsana Kaur Habibullah who moved to her 100 years old building Habibullah Estate at Hazratganj instead of selling it. Chakravarty herself lives in her house built in 1949 which she renovated after she returned to India. “Finding commercial activity is one important aspect that owners have to look into to take care and manage funds for its maintenance,” she added.

According to Qais Mujeeb, a heritage enthusiast, the government has budget constraints and cannot provide grants to every individual due to a large number of applicants. Their maintenance is high cost and expertise is not easily available locally. Lucknow has a fair number of such old houses, and to preserve them, we must emulate Hyderabad and Jaipur-like initiatives. Such structures, as in Jaipur and Udaipur, should be converted into hotels and cafes. Similarly, owners must come up with ideas to engage the public. For instance, there can be competitions among such old buildings to raise awareness. Such contests are already popular in Hyderabad, he added.