While Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of a sophisticated, blazer-clad gangster in Dhurandhar has captivated global audiences, the real-life inspiration—Rehman Baloch, better known as Rehman Dakait—was a far more brutal and unpolished figure. Ruling the Karachi neighborhood of Lyari until 2009, his life was a dark chronicle of poverty, extreme violence, and political collusion.
The Rise of a Teenage Killer
Born in 1980 to a drug smuggler, Rehman’s descent into crime began early. By age 13, he had committed his first stabbing. One of the most haunting urban legends from Lyari—briefly alluded to in the film—is that at age 15, Rehman allegedly murdered his own mother over her ties to a rival gang.
By his early 20s, he had seized control of Haji Laloo’s gang, transforming Lyari into a sovereign criminal state. Under his command, associates like Baba Ladla and Uzair Baloch allegedly enforced their rule through “butcher-like” violence, with reports even suggesting they played football with the severed heads of their enemies to instill absolute fear.
Lyari: A Kingdom of Fear
The movie Dhurandhar captures the claustrophobic grit of Lyari, an area where the name itself is derived from a tree that grows in graveyards.
- The Economy of Crime: In a locality plagued by unemployment, Rehman recruited young boys by offering daily wages and Kalashnikovs.
- De Facto Ruler: For nearly a decade, Rehman’s word was law. He determined when markets opened and who lived or died, famously declaring, “A death delivered by Rehman Dakait is brutally painful.”
The Search for Legitimacy
In his final years, Rehman attempted to pivot from “Dakait” (dacoit) to a tribal leader and political power broker.
- Political Links: He was frequently photographed with senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
- The PAC: He formed the People’s Aman Committee (PAC), ostensibly to work for peace, though critics saw it as a front for his criminal syndicate.
- High-Profile Ties: At the height of his influence, his armed guards were reportedly seen providing security for high-ranking political figures, including current President Asif Ali Zardari.
A Controversial End
Rehman’s life ended at age 29 in a 2009 police encounter. While authorities claimed he died in a shootout, autopsy reports suggested he was shot from a distance of just three feet, leading to theories that he was silenced by the very political circles he sought to join.
While Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has turned Rehman Dakait into a cinematic icon of menace, for the residents of Lyari, his name remains a stark reminder of a time when the lines between the state and the underworld completely vanished.