Bollywood’s upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’ has sparked widespread criticism following the release of its trailer, with much of the backlash coming from Indian social media users themselves.
The trailer depicts Karachi’s Lyari district as a war zone, showing Ranveer Singh as a RAW agent infiltrating ‘hostile’ Pakistani territory, while Arjun Rampal plays Major Iqbal, a Pakistani intelligence officer nicknamed the ‘Angel of Death’ obsessed with ‘making India bleed’.
R Madhavan portrays Ajay Sanyal, a character inspired by India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. In the story, Sanyal views Lyari as the ‘heart of terrorism’ in Pakistan that must be infiltrated to combat terrorism. The film also features Pakistani political imagery, including a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rally, photos of the late Benazir Bhutto, and party flags, which has drawn further scrutiny.
Observers in Pakistan note that the film reflects a growing trend in Indian cinema of intensifying anti-Pakistan narratives. Casting choices, such as Sanjay Dutt as the late SSP Chaudhry Aslam and Akshaye Khanna as gangster Rehman Dakait, have been widely mocked online for their implausibility.
Set to release in early December, Dhurandhar has already become a source of embarrassment for Bollywood. Critics, including many in India, have condemned the film for its distortions, sensationalism, and unrealistic portrayal of Pakistan.
Historically, the Lyari gang wars were an internal conflict between rival gangs in Karachi, shaped by complex ethnic and political dynamics. Figures like Rehman Dakait, Arshad Pappu, Chaudhry Aslam, and Uzair Baloch were central to this turbulent period in the city’s history - a reality marked by violence and bloodshed.
Critics argue that Bollywood’s appropriation of these events, framing them through an Indian nationalist lens, ignores the authentic experiences of Karachi’s residents.
