Dhurandhar: Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, has drawn attention not only for its action but also for its depiction of a character inspired by real-life Karachi gangster Rehman Dakait. Played by Akshaye Khanna, the character is loosely based on Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch, who dominated Lyari, one of Karachi’s most volatile neighbourhoods, until his death in 2009.
From street peddler to gang lord
Born in 1975, Rehman emerged from Lyari’s drug-smuggling networks. According to available accounts, he was involved in the narcotics trade before his teenage years and allegedly committed his first murder at 13. His notoriety in Karachi’s underworld grew further after an alleged matricide at age 19, an incident the film portrays with creative alterations.
By the late 1990s, Rehman had joined the Haji Lalu gang. Following Lalu’s arrest in 2001, he consolidated control over Lyari along with his cousin Uzair Baloch and enforcer Baba Ladla. Over the next eight years, their network expanded into drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, illegal arms dealing, and protection rackets.
Reign of Terror in Lyari
Reports from the era, including those cited by The Daily Guardian, describe brutal violence under Rehman’s command. The gang reportedly recruited unemployed youths, armed them, and deployed them to patrol Lyari’s narrow lanes, effectively turning the area into a fortified criminal base.
The film highlights the duality of Rehman’s public persona. While he projected himself as a Robin Hood–like figure to Lyari residents, he allegedly maintained ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to facilitate arms trafficking. The film suggests these weapons later reached terrorist networks, including those linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, claims that remain disputed and unverified.
Controversial death
Rehman was killed on August 9, 2009, during a police crackdown on Lyari’s criminal organisations. However, the circumstances of his death remain contested. Maulana Abdul Majeed Sarbazi, then chairman of the People’s Aman Committee, questioned the official account, citing autopsy findings that indicated close-range gunshot wounds, roughly three feet, raising doubts about whether the encounter was genuine.
Dhurandhar: The film’s approach
Dhurandhar fictionalises several elements of the real Operation Lyari while drawing from broader themes of gang warfare, terrorism, and political manipulation in Karachi. The controversial “Sher-e-Baloch” song in the film reportedly illustrates how Rehman cultivated a heroic image among Lyari residents even as he ran a violent criminal empire.
The film marks one of Bollywood’s latest attempts to dramatise cross-border crime narratives, though it appears to take significant creative liberties with historical events.