Pakistan in Aditya Dhar's "Dhurandhar" Epics
June 8th 2026
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Be Silly
As a Pakistani who grew up on Bollywood films, watching Karachi come to life in honest Bollywood fashion was a dream come true. A dream I never even knew I had. No wonder the Pakistani youth were scrambling to put their VPNs to use to finally watch a film about them despite the slander, assumptions and overall negative portrayal of Pakistan.
Dhar's commitment to keeping the story grounded in Pakistani landscapes is what made it so gratifying to watch.
For a movie filmed mostly in Punjab and Nepal alongwith depictions of Lyari, mentions of Cheel Chowk, Shershah Bridge, Aabpara, the yellow landscapes of Balochistan, the PMs house in Islamabad in stark sunlight, all paint a convincing portrait of Pakistan. The film is sprinkled generously with elements of Pakistani culture: burger bachay parting at clubs, the ethnic-rivalry between the four provinces, the warring political parties, photos of Qaid-e-Azam posted in offices, banners with Benazir Bhutto's face, Imran Khan’s image on the rickshaw, the Pakistan People Party flag banners hung in every street.
The sheer dedication to make this a film that took place in Pakistan blew me away. For years, I’ve looked for Pakistan in Bollywood films and found it too in the hills of Darjeeling in Anurag Basu's Barfi!, Delhi's traffic in Habib Faisal's Do Dooni Chaar and the streets of Banaras in Aanand L. Rai's Raanjhaana. But for the first time I didn’t have to.
Sure, a lot of the lingo is over the top with the needless allah-o-akbars, kabool hai, hazoors and manzoor hai, kiyamat tak and jaanat mei! Don't get me started on the overt salaam gestures. But to watch the revered Ranveer Singh parade as an Indian spy, the great Sanjay Dutt pose as the severe SP Chaudhry, and the captivating Akshaye Khanna make his comeback as Rehman Dekait has been a romp.
The infusion of American rap, gratuitous sequences of violence and political espionage marks this film as a staple in the emerging crime-action genre of Indian cinema.
The overall message is not subtle: Don’t mess with India.
However, Darr sprinkles the film with rare complexity when Pindu, Hamza/Jaskirat’s childhood friend, confronts him, “Kis ka desh? The country that never accepted us? You left your mother and sister for that country?” and Hamza’s explanation to Yalina after she finds out he’s a spy, that the terrorists he wants to take out are more dangerous to Pakistan than to India.
Bold rare dialogue that aims to please neither side. Sure, we get stereotypical villains and infallible heroes. Some we like because they are good-looking, most we just wait to see how long they stay alive. It is an action film and self-indulgent fueled by propaganda like most of them are.
When Hollywood does it, they call it a blockbuster.
I know, as a Pakistani, this film was not made for me. But I believe that I capture the giddy spirit of Pakistanis all over who see a shift in the tides of global cinema as Hollywood wastes millions on remakes while streaming services make films like this more accessible to millions around the world. Controversial films about the violent and bizarre history of a small neighborhood in a dangerous city of a new country.
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