The latest trailer of Dhurandhar, which is directed by Aditya Dhar, has turned the spotlight on Lyari, Karachi. The film features Ranveer Singh and is about the gang wars that had historically disturbed the area. The movie is set to be released on 5 December 2025, and the reactions of the local community have been varied, thereby casting a shadow over the issue of cinematic representation without fact-checking, which is still under debate.
About the Lyari Region
Lyari is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Karachi. During the 1980s and 1990s, the township started to be dominated by gangs that controlled the crime in the whole of Karachi from their very stronghold up to that time. Uzair Baloch and Rehman Dakait’s gang had even the support of politics until, in the late 2000s, the local SP Chaudhary Aslam carried out an operation against them.
What Dhurandhar Shows
The trailer of the movie shows Ranveer Singh playing an Indian agent who enters into the criminal world of Lyari, while Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna are seen as Rehman Dakait and Chaudhary Aslam, respectively. The movie makers installed Lyari’s famous arch gate and streets on Indian locations, combining real historical events and fictional spy storylines together. The film may enact and depict some actual events; however, it has blended historical truths with dramatized actions for the sake of cinema.
Lyari Residents’ Reactions
As per reports, the opinions were different among the locals of the area. A few of the people living there criticized the movie makers for not taking the neighborhood into consideration, saying, “The Indians have made a movie; they should have at least asked us.” We would show them the streets of Lyari… and would also tell them about Rehman Dakait (India walon ne film bana li hai, humse to poochte. Hum unko dikhaate Lyari ki galiyaan. Rehman Dakait ka bhi bataate). But there were others who said that the film’s meticulousness was so great that it could even be said that the town’s chaotic environment as well as the people’s lives on the streets were depicted as if they were real. Furthermore, opinions about the cast were also a matter of concern, where some were of the view that the image of Rehman Dakait was completely different from the actual one. Many said, “Usko batayenge Lyari kya cheez hai (We will show them what Lyari is),” and invited Sanjay and Ranveer to Lyari.
Broader Concerns
In Pakistan and other countries, the movie’s critics are of the opinion that it glamorizes the history of Lyari, which may lead to a simplified depiction of the hardships that the people living there went through during the Lyari gang wars, which stretched for a decade from 2009. For some people, this is nothing but cultural appropriation, which leads them to question the morality of dramatizing a community’s past that is not their own without proper consultation. These criticisms invite the question of responsible storytelling, specifically in the case of real locations and people.
Representation and Responsibility
The debate underscores the conflict between artistic freedom in cinema and historical correctness. For the people of Lyari, the film’s representation influences the global view of their neighborhood, thus questioning the legitimacy and authenticity of the film industry. Some people are grateful for the tough representation, while others argue that the voices of the actual people should be heard in the production. Dhurandhar has created a multifaceted discussion about the fairness of representation, the accountability of filmmakers, and the morality of storytelling.
