The Real-Life Inspirations Behind 'Dhurandhar': From Karachi's Underworld to the Silver Screen
Dhurandhar, the 2025 Hindi spy action thriller directed by Aditya Dhar, draws from gritty real-world events in Pakistan's Karachi, particularly the gang wars and security operations in the Lyari neighborhood. Released on December 5, 2025, the film blends espionage, mafia rivalries, and geopolitical tensions inspired by Operation Lyari, a major crackdown on criminal syndicates between 2012 and 2017. Once dubbed Karachi's "Little Brazil" for its vibrant football scene, Lyari evolved into a no-go zone dominated by drug lords, arms traffickers, and gangsters enforcing parallel rule through extortion and violence.
Lyari's Descent into Chaos
Lyari's criminal saga traces back to the 1960s when figures like Dad Muhammad, alias "Dadal," entered the hashish trade, challenging established bosses and sparking factional wars. By the 1980s and 1990s, Haji Lalu and his aide Dadal controlled much of the underworld, but disputes over ransom from kidnapped businessmen split them into rival groups: Lalu's side with son Arshad Pappu, and Dadal's family including Rehman Dakait. Violence peaked with the 2003 kidnapping and murder of Faizu, brother of Uzair Baloch, allegedly by Pappu's men, igniting a bloody feud that turned streets into battlegrounds.
Gangs commandeered homes as torture dens, recruited youth forcibly, and extorted "taxes" from locals, while authorities responded with sieges and firepower. The 2012 Operation Lyari marked a turning point, with Pakistan Rangers targeting networks in intense raids, culminating in the 2017 killing of gangster "Baba Ladla" in a fierce encounter. This era of turf wars, political meddling by parties like Pakistan Awami Party, and terror links forms the chaotic backdrop that Dhurandhar fictionalizes into a high-stakes infiltration plot.
Key Real-Life Figures and Their On-Screen Counterparts
The film's ensemble mirrors Lyari's power players and law enforcers, with actors embodying their intensity.
Actor Film Character Real-Life Inspiration
Akshaye Khanna Rehman Dakait Rehman Dakait, "Robin Hood of Lyari," gang leader who ruled through brutal vengeance
Sanjay Dutt SP Chaudhary Aslam Chaudhry Aslam Khan, encounter specialist who formed Lyari Task Force and clashed with Dakait
R. Madhavan Ajay Sanyal, IB Director Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor, symbol of strategic intelligence ops
Ranveer Singh Hamza Ali Mazari / Jaskirat Singh Rangi Composite of R&AW/Para-SF operatives in covert missions, not tied to one person like Major Mohit Sharma
Arjun Rampal Major Iqbal, ISI Ilyas Kashmiri, militant leader turned terrorist
Danish Pandor Uzair Baloch Uzair Baloch, Rehman's cousin and key gang enforcer
Supporting roles draw from broader networks, including cameos as Dawood Ibrahim (Danish Iqbal) and David Headley (Carl Andrew Harte), weaving in terror figures tied to Lyari's smuggling routes.
The Controversial True-Story Claim
Ahead of release, Major Mohit Sharma's family petitioned Delhi High Court, alleging the protagonist echoed his undercover work against militants in Kashmir before his 2009 martyrdom. Director Aditya Dhar clarified no direct basis exists, emphasizing fictional elements inspired by multiple R&AW ops amid IC-814 hijacking and Parliament attack contexts. Chaudhry Aslam's widow also raised portrayal concerns, but CBFC cleared the film after review. Actor Rakesh Bedi noted such inspirations are common in cinema, calling it "nothing new under the sun."
These debates highlight Dhurandhar's roots in verifiable history—Lyari's 2011 violence killed over 300 in months—while dramatizing India's shadowy responses to cross-border threats.
Cinematic World-Building and Impact
Aditya Dhar crafts a 214-minute epic with chapters like "The Bastard King of Lyari," showing the hero's rise in Rehman's gang via wedding ambushes and vendettas mirroring real 2009 encounters. Ranveer Singh's intense transformation anchors the narrative, earning praise alongside Akshaye Khanna's menacing don, though critics noted pacing issues in the dense plot. The film grossed over ₹93 crore worldwide shortly after release, spawning a sequel on March 19, 2026.
By fictionalizing Lyari's real anarchy—where gangs wielded more power than police—Dhurandhar spotlights unsung intelligence battles without claiming biography.
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