Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar franchise has become a huge hit in cinemas. The first film in the series, released on December 5 last year, created a storm at the box office.
Within a few weeks, the movie broke several records with its earnings. On March 19, the second part, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, hit theatres and performed even better. The sequel became one of the fastest films to enter the Rs 100-crore club and then went on to cross Rs 1,000 crore worldwide.
Dhurandhar 2 craze in India and abroad
The Dhurandhar films earned big money in India and were also well received overseas. The craze for the movies is still strong, especially because of its big star cast, including Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt and others. Although the films are Indian, they attracted attention in Pakistan too - but for very different reasons.
Dhurandhar 2 controversy and ban in Pakistan
In Pakistan, Dhurandhar faced a lot of backlash. The film was banned there after release, mainly because of how it showed Lyari, a locality in Karachi, and its links with crime and violence. However, once the film was released on Netflix, many Pakistani viewers watched it online.
Surprisingly, a large section of the audience praised the film, calling it powerful and well-made, and appreciated the director's vision. Both parts of Dhurandhar are set in Lyari. Pakistani audiences may have watched the film mainly as entertainment, not as propaganda. But the bombing scenes and the way Lyari was portrayed caused a stir in Pakistan's political circles.
Pakistan's answer to Dhurandhar
In reaction to Dhurandhar, Pakistani filmmakers decided to tell their own side of the story. They announced a film called Mera Lyari (My Lyari), which they describe as a reply to the Indian movie. According to them, Dhurandhar showed Lyari in a negative light. With Mera Lyari, they say they want to present the "real" Lyari and correct its image in front of the world.
What is Mera Lyari about?
As per a report in Gulf News, Mera Lyari has been made into a Pakistani feature film, with actor Ayesha Omar serving as the executive producer. She herself shared details of the project with fans through a post on Instagram. In her post, Ayesha wrote that Mera Lyari is now ready to meet the world. She announced that the film will have its world premiere on May 2, 2026, at the British Film Institute (BFI) as part of the 28th UK Asian Film Festival in London.
Ayesha Omar on showing the 'real' Lyari
Ayesha Omar said this is the first project where she is involved in a major way, both on and off screen. She called it a chance to bring Lyari's true story to the big screen. The film focuses on the strength, dreams, and daily lives of Lyari's people, especially its women and young girls, rather than showing only crime and violence. According to her, Mera Lyari aims to show Lyari as "raw, real and authentic," and to present its spirit and struggles to audiences around the world.