As the debate continues over whether Ranveer Singh’s hit film ‘Dhurandhar’ presents a fair or politically motivated portrayal of Pakistan, a voice from an unexpected quarter has entered the conversation.
A Pakistani journalist who was born and raised in Karachi’s Lyari district and served as the city’s elected mayor publicly supported the film’s depiction of the area, calling it a reflection of the reality on the ground.
Pakistani journalist born in Lyari supports ‘Dhurandhar’
“Dhurandhar”, which was released in 2025, was a major commercial success, attracting audiences with its dramatic depiction of real-life crime syndicates operating in Lyari and Karachi and India’s counter-terrorism efforts against them.
A sequel followed in March 2026, keeping up the series’ momentum. However, both films attracted criticism from commentators who claimed they were pushing a political agenda rather than presenting a balanced picture of the events.In a video shared by ANI from Talk Journalism 2026, Pakistani journalist Arif Ajakia gave a direct endorsement of the film during a conversation with journalist Saurabh Dwivedi.
It is difficult to dismiss Ajakia’s credibility on this subject. He served as the elected mayor of a town in Karachi during the same period depicted in the film and grew up in Lyari itself.“I was a city mayor in Karachi and elected mayor during the period when Dhurandar ended. I was born and raised in Lyari, so I knew everything that was being offered was true,” he said.Ajakia also made a personal revelation that added additional weight to his statements.
Revealing his family’s roots across the border, he said: “I was born in Karachi, but my parents were born in Junagadh, Gujarat. I consider myself of Indian origin, not Pakistani.”
The statement is likely to spark further discussion on ‘Dhurandhar’.
More about ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Dhurandhar 2’
Directed by Aditya Dhar and led by Ranveer Singh, the collection of both films crossed Rs 3,100 crore at the worldwide box office. The first part was released on December 5, 2025, while the second part arrived in cinemas on March 19, 2026.