Inside the brutal world of Rehman Dakait, Pak gangster who inspired Akshaye Khanna's character in Dhurandhar

SPoiler qui vive: This clause discusses francis scott key scenes and eccentric inside information from Dhurandhar and draws parallels with the real-life figure who inspired them. Readers who haven't seen the movie yet, and wish to avoid movie spoilers may want to proceed with caution.Every time Akshaye Khanna walks into frame in Dhurandhar, dressed in a Pathan suit or dark blazer, the moment is designed for spectacle. Music swells, the camera lingers as he commands the screen with quiet menace. Several viewers have said that his screen presence was much stronger in the film than that of lead actor Ranveer Singh.The man Khanna portrays, however, was never a creature of style. Rehman Baloch, also known as Rehman Dakait, ruled not with charisma but with fear, and his real life unfolded in far darker shades than any choreographed sequence could convey.Born and raised in Lyari, one of Karachi's oldest and most neglected neighbourhoods, Rehman emerged from a landscape shaped by poverty, political neglect and relentless violence.For years, Lyari was less a locality than a battleground, carved up by rival gangs whose control determined whether markets opened, schools functioned or streets fell silent.Long before Indian cinema found him compelling enough to adapt, his name was whispered in Lyari with dread. His rise from teenage criminal to undisputed gang leader, his alleged involvement in acts so brutal they still divide opinion, his flirtation with political legitimacy, and his death in a controversial police encounter form a story that reads less like a screenplay and more like a chronicle of a city’s unravelling.Dhurandhar may have introduced Rehman Dakait to audiences across the border, but for Lyari, his legacy is not a viral clip or a memorable performance. It is a reminder of a time when law, politics and crime blurred into one, and when a single man’s ascent mirrored the collapse of civic order around him.Lyari: The world that shaped Rehman DakaitRehman Dakait was born and raised in Lyari. Situated along polluted waterways and long plagued by poverty and administrative neglect, Lyari predates modern Karachi and was originally inhabited by Sindhi fishermen and Baloch nomads in the 1700s. According to Pakistan's 2023 census, Lyari has a population of nearly nine lakh. Chronic underdevelopment and unemployment turned parts of the area into fertile ground for organised crime, with rival gangs operating as de facto power centres. The area’s grim reputation was reinforced during years of violent gang wars that left hundreds dead.Ironically, the name “Lyari” is believed to be derived from lyar, a tree that grows in graveyards - a haunting parallel to the bloodshed the locality witnessed for decades.It was in this environment that Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch, later known as Rehman Dakait, grew up.Also read: Dhurandhar wasn’t shot in India or Pakistan; here’s the Asian country where the town of Lyari was recreatedEarly life and descent into crimeBorn in 1980 to Muhammad, a drug smuggler, and Khadija Bibi, Rehman was introduced to crime early. By his teenage years, he was allegedly involved in drug peddling.Pakistani media reports claim that at the age of 13, he stabbed a man, marking the beginning of his violent ascent.One of the most chilling allegations surrounding Rehman is that he murdered his own mother at 15, allegedly over her links to a rival gang. While this claim has been debated and never conclusively proven, it contributed significantly to his growing notoriety and the fear his name evoked in Lyari.His brutal methods earned him the moniker 'Dakait' (dacoit). As echoed in Dhurandhar, the character chillingly declares: "Rehman Dakait ki di hui maut badi kasainuma hoti hai (A death delivered by Rehman Dakait is brutally painful)."Rehman joined Haji Laloo’s gang in the late 90s and took over the gang’s command after Laloo’s arrest in 2001. For the next eight years, Rehman turned Lyari into his stronghold, with Uzair Baloch and their associate, Baba Ladla, as his go-to men. A Daily Guardian report claimed that Ladla and Baloch would play football with severed heads of their opponents at Rehman’s orders, as a show of strength.Ruling Lyari through fearBy the age of 21, Rehman was leading a powerful gang, according to an investigative report titled “Kingdom of Fear” published by Pakistan's Express Tribune. The report details his involvement in extortion, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking, and illegal arms trade. For nearly a decade, Lyari was paralysed by gang warfare as Rehman’s group clashed with rival gangster Arshad Pappu and others. Entire neighbourhoods were caught in the crossfire, and daily life was frequently brought to a standstill.Political foray and the quest for legitimacyRehman Dakait's ambitions eventually extended beyond criminal dominance. Lyari had long been a stronghold of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Rehman was photographed alongside senior party leaders, including former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, and in the proximity of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.While police officials have denied claims of political interference, reports persisted that Rehman enjoyed protection due to his alleged political links. A PPP leader quoted by Express Tribune acknowledged that a political vacuum in Lyari allowed figures like Rehman to rise.“Unemployment was and still is a huge issue in Lyari,” the leader said. “Rehman would give boys daily wages, hand them a Kalashnikov, and tell them to patrol the area. They often didn't even know who they were firing at.”In 2008, seeking legitimacy, Rehman distanced himself from the “Dakait” label and began using his full name, Abdul Rehman Baloch, emphasising his tribal identity. He reconciled with rivals and helped form the People’s Aman Committee (PAC), which claimed to work for peace and development in Lyari.There were even rumours that Rehman intended to contest elections. During this period, armed guards allegedly linked to his gang were seen providing security to then-PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, now Pakistan's president.Controversial deathBefore he could realise his political ambitions, Rehman Dakait was killed in a police encounter in August 2009. Police maintained that he died during a shootout, but the circumstances have remained controversial.PAC chairman Maulana Abdul Majeed Sarbazi questioned the official version, citing autopsy reports that suggested Rehman was shot from a distance of just three feet. He claimed that peace efforts in Lyari were underway when Rehman was killed.Multiple theories about the motive behind his killing persist - ranging from fears within political circles that he was becoming too powerful, to allegations that he was involved in arms deals with the Balochistan Liberation Army, with the encounter being the fallout of a deal gone wrong.The PPP has consistently denied any role and later distanced itself from Rehman and the PAC.Legacy lives onRehman Dakait lived just 29 years, but his legacy in Lyari endured long after his death. With Dhurandhar, that notoriety has now crossed borders, reimagined for Indian cinema.While Akshaye Khanna’s performance has been widely praised for its menace and gravitas, many observers note that the real Rehman Dakait’s life was far more disturbing.