Dhurandhar Finds Support From Ex-Karachi Mayor Arif Aajakia On Lyari Portrayal: ‘Everything Shown Was True’

The blockbuster film franchise Dhurandhar and its sequel have stayed at the center of intense public discussions regarding their depiction of complex geopolitical situations. While the movies have achieved massive commercial success worldwide, they have also faced considerable criticism from analysts who claim the narrative offers a one-sided or politically motivated portrayal of cross-border operations. However, the action-thriller series has now found unexpected support from prominent Pakistani journalist and former Karachi town mayor Arif Aajakia, who stepped forward to defend the authentic world-building of the films based on his own childhood experiences.

Speaking at a media event, Arif Aajakia addressed the widespread controversies surrounding the cinematic portrayal of Karachi’s notorious Lyari neighborhood, an area historically known for intense gang wars and organized crime networks. Given his unique background of being born and raised directly in Lyari, the former mayor asserted with absolute conviction that the dark underbelly and intense criminal environments depicted on screen closely mirrored the harsh realities he witnessed firsthand. He explicitly backed the project by stating that he was serving as an elected official in Karachi during the exact timeframe captured in the story, which allowed him to confidently verify that everything shown by the filmmakers was entirely true.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the franchise stars Ranveer Singh as an undercover Indian intelligence officer infiltrating dangerous criminal syndicates operating out of Pakistan under a false identity. Beyond the intense action sequences, the narrative focuses heavily on the fragile power structures and shifting loyalties within the underworld networks of Lyari. Highlighting his personal perspective during the discussion, Aajakia also opened up about his deep-rooted family ties across the border, mentioning that while he was born in Karachi, his parents originally hailed from Junagadh, Gujarat. This heritage led him to share that he fundamentally views himself as a person of Indian origin rather than Pakistani, adding a significant layer of personal context to his strong endorsement of the films’ cinematic realism.

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