Balochistan leader Mir Yar Baloch has slammed Dhurandhar makers for the incorrect portrayal of Balochistan and India relations, saying the Aditya Dhar film focused more on gangsters than the patriotic Baloch masses and their cause. Posting a long note on social media, Mir Yar also said the movie is a poorly researched take on Baloch history, Balochistan freedom movement, Baloch culture, and traditions.
The story of Dhurandhar, the two-part saga unfolds with 1999 Kandahar hijack, the longest in Indian aviation history, progressing with the Parliament attack in 2001. India’s Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal crafts a daring and indomitable mission to infiltrate and dismantle a powerful terrorist network operating out of Pakistan and hires Hamza (Ranveer Singh), a 20-year-old boy from Punjab, held captive for committing a revenge-driven crime.
Posting a clip on social media where Arjun Rampal and Akshaye Khanna‘s characters are seen chanting ‘Allah O Akbar’, the Balcohistan leader remarked that “Baloch are not religiously motivated” and they had never ever collaborated with ISI to harm Indian interests.
Here’s what Mir Yar Baloch wrote
“Balochistan is not represented by a gangster and Baloch people fighting for freedom never celebrated 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as we too are the victims of Pakistan sponsored terrorism,” the post read.
Further expressing his disappointment over the film’s treatment of characters, he further noted: “The movie also did not do justice with Balochistan freedom fighters by showing them as if they had sold their weapons to anti-India elements.”
“Baloch Freedom fighters are always in shortage of weapons otherwise they would have defeated the occupational forces of Pakistan long ago,” he wrote.
“Baloch gangsters of had enough money to print fake currency there would have not been any poverty in Balochistan. It is the ISI who do all evil job of smuggling drugs, fake currency and weapons,” he added.
We know spy operatives don’t have permanent friends and permanent enemies but dealing with Baloch, there is no word of betrayal in the Baloch dictionary, he further wrote.
“We don’t agree with the sentence by police SP Chaudhary Aslam “MagarMach Pe Bhrosa Kar Sakte Hain Baloch Pe Nahi” is totally against our code of conduct, ethics, culture because it is famous in Baloch culture that “Ek Glass Paani Ki Qeemat 100 Saal Wafa”. Baloch if given 1 glass of water or helped, they never betray their friends/well wishers,” the post read.
Mir Yar Baloch urges for making a new movie that “shows the true friendship, loyalty, historic bonds and combined fight of our nation against common enemy Pakistan.”
Inspirations behind key Dhurandhar characters
Dhurandhar is inspired from Operation Lyari, the longest-running covert operation conducted in Karachi’s Lyari region between 2012 and 2017. Once known for its rich culture, Lyari has over decades transformed into a centre of drug syndicates, arms trafficking, and gang rivalries.
R Madhavan plays the role of Ajay Sanyal inspired by Ajit Doval, a 1968 batch IPS officer, currently India’s longest-serving NSA. Sanjay Dutt’s character is reportedly based on Pakistan’s encounter specialist Chaudhary Aslam Khan. Akshaye Khanna plays Rehman Dacoit, while Arjun Rampal’s character is modelled on Ilyas Kashmiri, Pakistani ex-Special Forces Operator turned Islamist terrorist.