The release of Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, is just around the corner. The makers haven't released any official plotline of the high-octane action movie, and until a few weeks ago, all we knew about the film was that it is based on "incredible true events".
After the trailer of Dhurandhar was released on November 18, viewers were treated to a new piece of information, apart from a lot of violence, gore, and brutality. It was revealed in the trailer that the movie is set in Lyari, a town in Pakistan's Karachi district.
Considering Lyari's bloodied history the makers are not completely off the mark for setting Dhurandhar in the Pakistani town.
Where Is Lyari In Pakistan?
Spread across 6 sqkm within Karachi in the Sindh province of Pakistan, Lyari is a densely populated town which is located in the heart of the district, close to the old city and the port area. The neighbourhood stretches along the Lyari river and is also considered one of the city's oldest and most impoverished neighbourhoods.
In Dhurandhar trailer, Ranveer Singh's character, who is reportedly named Humza, takes a chopper from a mountainous region, maybe he flies in from India or Afghanistan. What we do know is that he lands in Pakistan and eventually, find his way into the Lyari town.
The entrance of the Lyari town, as shown in Dhurandhar trailer.
What this character, played by Ranveer Singh, aims to achieve and goes on to do that will be found once Dhurandhar, positioned as a massive multi-starrer, hits the screens this Friday.
Lyari And Gangwars
Karachi had earned a reputation as Pakistan's most dangerous city due to high rates of gang violence. Lyari town is said to be particularly affected by gang activity.
Rehman Dakait, one of Karachi's most notorious criminals, operated out of Lyari. The town had been a bastian of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and in the 2000s, the political party worked in close association with Rehman Dakait to keep Lyari untouched by other parties. As a barter, Rehman Dakait was given a free hand to extort local businesses, smuggle drugs, arms and ammunition.
Akshaye Khanna is playing the role of Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar.
Other gangsters who enjoyed control in Lyari apart from Rehman Dakait were Arshad Pappu, Uzair Baloch, and Baba Ladla.
Constant warring between rival gangs led to several assassinations, kidnappings, torture killings, and public shootouts. For years, parts of Lyari town were considered "no-go areas" and "lawlessness".
If Rehman Dakait was on one side of the fence when it comes to Lyari, Superintendent of Police Chaudhary Aslam Khan was on the other. Chaudhary Aslam was regarded one of the daredevil cops in Karachi who single-handedly wanted to remove all gangs from the face of the Lyari town. He was later order to lead the LTF (Lyari Task Force) and end the gang war in the town.
According to Pakistani media, Rehman Dakait was killed in a police encounter led by Chaudhary Aslam Khan in Karachi's Steel Town area in August 2009. Some reports also stated that the gangster's death may not have been an extra-judicial killing.
Sanjay Dutt is essaying the role of Chaudhary Aslam in Dhurandhar.
Lyari And India
The Lyari river originates northeast of Karachi in Pakistan's arid uplands but flows entirely within the city. It has shaped remarkable rock formations and varied landscapes along its course through Karachi.
In Karachi, the Lyari riverbed serves as a critical drainage channel for stormwater and sewage, with major infrastructure like the Lyari Expressway built along it.
Interestingly, the Lyari riverbed is located approximately 70 km from Bhuj in Gujarat, behind the Dhinodhar hills. Its riverbed, consisting of prehistoric rock formations, sand, and water, offers a contrast to Kutch's rugged desert expanse.
Dhurandhar will showcase Lyari and, if we go by its trailer, the film will give us a peek into the gang wars and violence into the much-feared town in Karachi.
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