Dhurandhar: A look at the real figures behind the characters, From Ajit Doval to Chaudhary Aslam

Dhurandhar​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is rapidly becoming one of the major cinematic successes of the year, winning over the audiences with its engaging plot, strong characters, and a dramatic and thrilling depiction of India–Pakistan undercover operations.

The movie is going through a very successful box-office run after its opening and is getting applauded for its daring storyline, casting accuracy, and the great harmony of the cast members. With more and more people talking about it and cinemas being full of viewers, Dhurandhar is a mega-hit that has not only delivered the fun factor but also ignited the curiosity that prevails concerning the real-life sources of the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌characters. Let's take a look at the characters that are inspired from the real life members.

Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Baloch (Rehman Dakait)
In​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Dhurandhar, Akshaye Khanna portrays Rehman Baloch, better known as Rehman Dakait, the extremely influential Pakistani crime lord and politician who ruled Lyari’s underworld, is quite a convincing performance. The person is a reflection of the actual Rehman whose dad, Dadal Baloch, was the first big drug kingpin of Lyari in the 1960s and ’70s. As a result of giving away money to the poor, Rehman Dakait is often seen as a Robin Hood-like character but he had a very fierce fight with Arshad Pappu and was killed in a 2009 police encounter headed by Chaudhary Aslam ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Khan.

Sanjay Dutt as SSP Chaudhary Aslam
Sanjay Dutt steps into the role of SSP Chaudhary Aslam, the fearless Karachi encounter specialist who founded the Lyari Task Force. His character reflects the real officer’s reputation as a relentless figure who took on dangerous gangs, including the one led by Rehman Dakait.

Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal
Arjun Rampal appears as Major Iqbal, a character inspired by the feared militant commander Ilyas Kashmiri. Known for heading the Harkat-ul-Jihad Brigade and creating the 313 Brigade, Ilyas Kashmiri was regarded as a potential successor to Osama Bin Laden. His violent operations were linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto before he was killed in a US drone strike in 2011.

R. Madhavan as Ajay Sanyal
R. Madhavan delivers a compelling performance as Ajay Sanyal, a character drawn from the life of Ajit Doval, India’s longest-serving National Security Advisor. Ajit Doval, a 1968 batch IPS officer, resolved fifteen plane hijackings, infiltrated Operation Blue Star, and built one of India’s strongest security frameworks — qualities reflected in Madhavan’s portrayal of the mastermind behind the Lyari operation in the film.

Ranveer Singh plays Hamza, a Punjabi youth recruited from prison and trained to infiltrate Karachi’s dangerous criminal network. While many initially believed the character resembled the late Major Mohit Sharma, a decorated Ashoka Chakra awardee, the director clarified that Hamza is purely fictional and not based on the Major’s life.