How Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar echoes reality: The violent legacy of Lyari’s most feared man Rehman Dakait

The gritty spy-action thriller Dhurandhar has captivated audiences not only for its high-octane narrative and ensemble cast but also for its evocation of real-world criminal networks — particularly those rooted in Pakistan’s notorious Lyari district.

While the filmmakers have not officially confirmed biographical sources for every character, one of the film’s most compelling figures — a feared gang leader portrayed in the movie — is allegedly based on Rehman Baloch, also known as Rehman Dakait, a name that once struck fear through the labyrinthine alleys of Lyari. The character is portrayed by Akshaye Khanna.

Who was Rehamn Baloch - also known as Rehman Dakait?

Lyari, one of Karachi’s oldest and most densely populated quarters, gained a reputation over decades as a hotbed of organised crime amid urban neglect, poverty and political factionalism.

Historically, the area suffered from a lack of development and administrative attention, factors that helped criminal syndicates flourish alongside everyday life.

Born Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch in 1979, the man who would become known as Rehman Dakait grew up in this environment and entered criminal activity at a young age, later rising to control major facets of Lyari’s underworld, including extortion, arms trafficking and gang warfare against rivals.

‘Dhurandhar’ positions its Lyari underworld character as a dominant force whose influence shapes the narrative’s espionage and conflict. The film’s depiction resonates with the broad contours of Baloch’s real-world notoriety — a figure whose control extended beyond street crime into political influence and local power dynamics — yet it remains a dramatised interpretation crafted for cinematic impact.

In reality, Rehman Baloch’s rise coincided with fierce gang rivalries and an uneasy alliance between criminal factions and political groups. His ascendancy was punctuated by violence and controversial acts that contributed to Lyari’s perilous reputation throughout the early 2000s.

Some brutal acts committed by Rehman and his gang

Reports suggest that at around the age of 19, Rehman Baloch allegedly murdered his mother, Khadija Bibi, in a violent family dispute — an episode later dramatised in ‘Dhurandhar’ with creative licence. While details vary across sources and no judicial record confirms all aspects, this act is widely referenced in retrospective accounts of his early notoriety.

Accounts from the era of Lyari’s gang wars allege that Rehman’s inner circle, including close associates such as Uzair Baloch and Baba Ladla, engaged in extraordinarily gruesome acts against rival gang members — reportedly including playing football with the severed heads of enemies to intimidate and assert dominance.

These claims circulate in both journalistic and anecdotal sources, and while they reflect the brutal mythology surrounding Lyari’s underworld, they underscore the climate of fear that characterised Baloch’s reign.

How was Rehman Baloch killed?

The city’s law enforcement agencies repeatedly attempted crackdowns, though many of these operations faltered amid allegations of political interference and the gang’s deep-rooted local support.

The end came in August 2009, when Sindh Police announced that Baloch had been killed in an encounter near Karachi’s Steel Town area. His death was presented as a significant victory against organised crime, though it triggered uncertainty in Lyari as various splinter groups and emerging factions scrambled for control.

In the years that followed, the neighbourhood endured prolonged violence, with no single figure ever fully replicating Baloch’s grip.

Rehman Baloch's portrayal in ‘Dhurandhar’

The environment depicted in ‘Dhurandhar’ — a mix of gang power, institutional friction and shadowy alliances — mirrors aspects of Lyari’s documented past.

Cinematically, this adds depth to the film’s portrayal of espionage, as the narrative follows an Indian agent embedded within such networks and grappling with the blurred lines between law enforcement and criminal authority.

The story, built around espionage and retaliatory missions, reflects a universe where local gang control and international intelligence intersect.

While ‘Dhurandhar’ takes artistic liberties, its resonance with historical conditions in Lyari helps explain the audience’s fascination with the characters and their motivations.

The film’s buzz — including robust box-office performance and widespread discussion of its characters’ real-life inspiration — highlights the enduring intrigue surrounding gangland figures like Rehman Baloch, whose legacy remains woven into Karachi’s complex social fabric even decades after his death.

By drawing parallels between the cinematic world of ‘Dhurandhar’ and the factual backdrop of Lyari’s underworld, the film invites viewers to explore the interplay of crime, politics and identity that defined one of South Asia’s most volatile neighbourhoods, even as it unfolds an unmistakably dramatic narrative.