Pakistan’s Answer to Dhurandhar Turns Into an Utter Flop

Pakistani film Mera Lyari, which was promoted as the country’s response to the popular Dhurandhar franchise, has reportedly turned into a major box-office failure. According to reports, the film was removed from several theatres shortly after release after selling only around 22 tickets.

Directed by Abu Aleeha, the film aimed to present a positive image of Karachi’s Lyari area through a sports drama centered on women’s football. The movie starred actors like Ayesha Omar, Dananeer Mobeen, Samia Mumtaz, and Trinette Lucas.

The film had generated attention before release because it was seen as Pakistan’s answer to Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which portrayed Lyari through themes of crime, terrorism, and gang violence. Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun played key roles in Dhurandhar.

Pakistan’s Sindh government had also publicly supported the project. However, despite the political buzz and media attention, Mera Lyari failed to attract audiences. Reports suggest that poor occupancy and lack of commercial appeal forced theatres to replace the film with other titles within days of release.