Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after the reports emerged from some quarters about the speculation on the sale of Malayalam movie legend Prem Nazir's iconic Laila Cottage, the late actor's daughter Rita came forward and denied the reports.
"We are not at all selling off the property. Once we sell it we will be losing hold of the heritage property, so we won't do it," Rita said. She added that the rumour must have erupted because there were some efforts to sell the land near the cottage. "But now we are giving up that move as well," she said.
Earlier, there were reports that Pren Nazir's children were planning the sale of the famed cottage. Built in 1956 at Kunthalloor, Chirayankeezhu, the mansion was named after his daughter Laila.
The old bungalow on 50 cents is currently owned by his granddaughter Reshma.
The first-ever two-storeyed house in Cheriyankeezhu was built under the supervision of film producer P Subrahmanyan.
This eight-bedroom house and property on the National Highway stretch between Korani to Chirayinkeezhu is worth a fortune in terms of heritage value. The late actor lived here with his wife Habeeba Biwi and children Laila, Rasiya, Shanavas and Rita.
The house has been locked for a long time. A few doors and windows have disintegrated, and weeds have crept all over the front yard. The board with the name 'Prem Nazir' inscribed on it remains intact.
The fact that fans still visit the mansion show that the actor's popularity has not waned even after 30 years of his death. They take selfies in front of the locked gate.
The hopes that the government would take efforts to preserve the memory of the great actor have started fading. Though there was a request made to the government to take over the house and turn it into a monument, it didn’t materialize.
