Lyari, an impoverished town in Pakistan’s Karachi that till now existed beyond the glitters of the capital city, has hit headlines after featuring in mega Bollywood blockbuster Dhurandhar — a movie about the brutal underworld nexus of the area and its connection with terrorism.. A screen grab from Dhurandhar’s trailer, depicting the entrance of Lyari, a town in Pakistan’s Karachi (YouTube). Known as a “no-go” area because of the lawlessness, politically motivated violence and as a space where geographical boundaries mark the limits of law, Lyari was recreated by Dhurandhar’s team in Thailand, according to director of the film Aditya Dhar. The action scenes were shot across Punjab’s Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Maharashtra’s Mumbai.. ‘No-go zone’: Lyari, one of Karachi’s oldest neighbourhoods, sits close to the city’s historic port and has long been a gateway for migration and settlement. Its narrow lanes, dense housing, and tightly knit communities reflect decades of unplanned urban growth. Despite its central location, Lyari developed a reputation of being beyond the limits of law. “Lyari – home to lawlessness, politically motivated violence and crime – is an infamous ‘no-go area’ in the financial capital of Pakistan, Karachi. It has a population of about one million people, but only limited presence of law enforcement agencies, so criminals often find refuge here. One very rarely hears of police operations in this area,” wrote Pakistani peace building expert Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed in an article for PeaceInsight in 2011.. Hotspot of gang violence: As shown in Dhurandhar movie, Lyari has been a hotspot of gang violence, particularly from 1980s throughout the early 2010s. The area became synonymous with turf wars, political patronage networks, and lawlessness, drawing national attention. Security operations in later years helped curb much of the violence, but the legacy of that period still shapes perceptions of the neighbourhood. Local news portals on gang fights in Lyari have previously reported that armed gangs exchanged fire with no interference from police anywhere in sight.. Rehman Dakait link: Dhurandhar surrounds the life of Rehman Dakait — a character played by actor Akshaye Khanna in the film — one of the most notorious gang leaders in Lyari. He is known to have rose to prominence in the early 2000s, gaining significant influence over local criminal networks and becoming a symbol of Lyari’s law-and-order crisis. His eventual killing in a police encounter, also depicted in the movie, marked a turning point, highlighting the state’s intensified efforts to dismantle gang structures in the locality.. Screen grab from a video from 16 years ago showing the aftermath of the killing of Rehman Dakait, a notorious gangster of Lyari (YouTube/Haider Ali). Pak’s football hub: Despite earning a notorious reputation, Lyari historically has been also known for its rich cultural identity. It is widely regarded as Pakistan’s football h
