'Dhurandhar': Pakistani journalist defends film's depiction of Lyari in Ranveer Singh starrer, saying, 'Everything shown was TRUE'

As debate continues over whether Ranveer Singh's blockbuster 'Dhurandhar' presents a fair or politically motivated picture of Pakistan, a voice from an unexpected quarter has entered the conversation. A Pakistani journalist who was born and raised in Karachi's Lyari area and served as its elected mayor has publicly backed the film's depiction of the region, calling it a reflection of ground reality.'Dhurandhar', released in 2025, was a major commercial success, drawing audiences with its dramatisation of real-life crime syndicates operating out of Lyari, Karachi, and India's counter-terrorism efforts against them. A sequel followed in March 2026, sustaining the franchise's momentum. However, both films have attracted criticism from commentators who argue that they push a political agenda rather than offer a balanced portrayal of events.In a video shared by ANI from Talk Journalism 2026, Pakistani journalist Arif Aajakia offered a striking first-hand endorsement of the film during a conversation with journalist Saurabh Dwivedi. Aajakia's credibility on the subject is hard to dismiss; he served as elected mayor of a town in Karachi during the very period the film depicts and grew up in Lyari itself.He said, "I was the mayor of a town in Karachi, elected mayor during the period when Dhurandhar was done. I was born and raised in Lyari, so I knew that everything shown was true."Aajakia also made a personal disclosure that added further weight to his remarks. 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 to be of Indian origin, not Pakistani."The statement is likely to fuel further discussion around 'Dhurandhar'.Directed by Aditya Dhar and led by Ranveer Singh, the collection of both movies surpassed Rs 3100 crore at the worldwide box office. The first instalment was released on December 5, 2025, while the second part arrived in cinemas on March 19, 2026.