‘Dhurandhar spreads propaganda,’ claims Pakan; announces ‘Mera Lyari’ based on what was the 6th most dangerous city in the world | Bollywood News

Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar has been dominating headlines for shattering multiple box-office records. Set in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood between 1999 and 2009, the film has stirred controversy across the border despite not being released in Pakan. The depiction has reportedly offended authorities in Sindh to such an extent that the Sindh Information Department has announced its own film, Mera Lyari, aimed at presenting what it calls the town’s “real” story.The official handle of the Sindh Information Department shared two posters of Mera Lyari and wrote, “Misrepresentation cannot erase reality. Lyari stands for culture, peace, and resilience—not violence. While Dhurandhar spreads propaganda, Mera Lyari will soon tell the authentic story of pride and prosperity.” The department further announced that the film will release in January 2026, adding that “Indian propaganda against Lyari will never be successful.”
The Sindh Information Department is a provincial government entity in Sindh, Pakan. Its primary role is to ensure effective and strategic media coverage of government activities through both electronic and print platforms.
Lyari through lens of Aditya Dhar
In Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, Lyari is portrayed as a violent neighbourhood marked gang wars, racketeering, police raids, drug trafficking, arms race, and terrorism. Ranveer Singh’s character, Humza Ali Mazari, lands in Pakan and eventually finds his way into Lyari, depicted in the film as part of Karachi—often described as one of Pakan’s most dangerous cities.
According to several reports, Lyari comprises some of Karachi’s poorest settlements, where crime has horically thrived amid an alleged nexus between gangs and law enforcement. The area is also shown as the birthplace of Rehman Dakait—played Akshaye Khanna—who, as per BBC reports, was born to a drug peddler Dad Mohammad and his second wife, Khadija. He made his place early in the crime world in the area, soon rising to its very height.
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What is Lyari’s hory?
Horically, Lyari is believed to be one of Karachi’s oldest inhabited areas and is often referred to its residents as the “Mother of Karachi.” The name is said to be derived from the Sindhi word lyar, a tree that once grew along the banks of the Lyari River. The area was originally inhabited Sindhi fishermen and Baloch nomads.Story continues below this ad
Lyari was a predominantly Muslim area within Karachi, which was largely Hindu prior to Partition. During the British period, the neighbourhood was reportedly neglected as colonial development focused on the port and the eastern parts of the city.
The area’s first criminal gangs began to take root in the 1960s. The 1970s saw the emergence of a vibrant local music scene known as “Lyari Disco,” even as the neighbourhood increasingly became a hub for drug trafficking.
The situation worsened in the 1980s when weapons from the Soviet–Afghan war flooded the area, and drug addiction became widespread. During the 1980s and 1990s, Lyari’s gangsters became closely entwined with local politics. Reports suggest that the Pakan Peoples Party (PPP) backed gangs led Uzair Baloch and Rehman Dakait to counter the MQM-backed Arshad Pappu.
In 2014, Karachi was ranked the sixth most dangerous city in the world. 2022, however, it had dropped to the 128th position.Story continues below this ad
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According to a report Caravan magazine, Lyari has long been a political battleground—an area where political parties are made or broken. It is also the birthplace of some of Pakan’s most celebrated footballers and boxers. The place was also known for sustaining the most liberal resance to the dictatorship. Political activs reportedly risked their lives to fight the oppression of a fundamental military regime.
However, the same report noted, “It’s no longer sports or rebel politicians that bring Lyari to life for Karachiites. Now it’s the violence—the gangsters who have terrified the area and waged bloody turf wars for the better part of the decade.”
The report further described Lyari as living proof of the state’s civic failures—a case study in how prolonged political incompetence and corruption have shaped everyday life for its residents.