Months after dominating the box office, Ranveer Singh-led Dhurandhar and its sequel continue to find themselves at the centre of public debate. Now, the conversation has taken an interesting turn, with Pakistani journalist and former Karachi mayor Arif Aajakia coming out in support of the films.
Arif Aajakia's comments go viral as he says the world depicted on screen closely mirrored the realities he had witnessed firsthand while growing up in Lyari.
The ongoing debate surrounding Dhurandhar's depiction of Karachi's Lyari neighbourhood has now received support from an unexpected quarter. Pakistani journalist and former Karachi mayor Arif Aajakia has come out in defence of the franchise, stating that much of what was shown on screen closely mirrored the realities he witnessed while growing up in the area.
Aajakia made the remarks during a conversation with journalist Saurabh Dwivedi at Talk Journalism 2026. A video from the interaction, shared by ANI, quickly went viral on social media, sparking fresh discussions around the film's portrayal of Lyari and Karachi's underworld networks.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the Dhurandhar franchise uses Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood as a major backdrop for its high-stakes espionage narrative. Known for its history involving gang wars, organised crime and political tensions, Lyari plays a crucial role in shaping the story and its characters.
