Akshaye Khanna’s chilling performance as Rehman Baloch in Dhurandhar has sparked renewed curiosity about the real figure from whom the character is inspired, Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch, widely known as Rehman Dakait, one of the most feared ganglords to emerge from Karachi’s Lyari district. His life, marked by brutal crime, betrayals and a violent end, has resurfaced in public conversations following the film’s release.
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A fictional portrayal rooted in real Karachi crime history
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, follows an Indian spy infiltrating a Pakistani crime network. While Ranveer Singh leads the film, Khanna’s portrayal of Rehman Baloch has drawn the most attention. His entry, set to the now-viral Bahraini hip-hop track FA9LA by Flipperachi, has ignited social media discussions, with many viewers comparing the moment to Animal’s “Jamal Kudu” frenzy.
A viral clip circulating on X even pairs Khanna’s entry with what users claim is a rare video of the real Rehman Dakait dancing, with some viewers remarking that the actor’s screen presence “overshadowed the original.”
From teenage violence to Karachi’s most feared gangster
According to The Express Tribune, Rehman Dakait was born in Lyari in either 1975 or 1979. His early years were marked by exposure to gang activity, and by his teenage years he had already ventured into violent crime. The newspaper reported that at 19, Rehman allegedly murdered his mother, an incident that Dhurandhar references with creative liberties. Other accounts claim he killed her earlier, around age 15, after discovering her involvement with a man accused of murdering his father.
His reputation grew rapidly in the late 1990s when he joined the powerful gang led by Haji Lalu. When Lalu was arrested in 2001, Rehman inherited control and began expanding the syndicate’s operations.
Between 2001 and 2009, he became one of Pakistan’s most notorious crime figures, ruling Lyari through a network that included his cousin Uzair Baloch and associate Baba Ladla. According to The Daily Guardian, the gang committed numerous killings, extortion operations and kidnappings. The same report detailed claims that members of the group played football with severed heads of rivals which is an allegation often cited in recounting Lyari’s violent history.
Death during 2009 crackdown
Rehman Dakait’s criminal reign ended in August 2009 during a police operation targeting Lyari’s armed groups. Karachi Police reported that Rehman was shot dead in a gun battle while attempting to flee with three associates. He was 34. Following his death, Uzair Baloch took over the network, later becoming the central figure in additional criminal and political investigations in Pakistan.
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In Dhurandhar, Khanna plays a fictionalised version of the gangster, where Danish Pandor is portraying Uzair Baloch. Despite the fictional framing, the film has gained popularity and has also gained interest in the real Dakait, whose violent legacy continues to shape Lyari’s reputation more than a decade after his death.
