Story by Bahari Duniya | Written by Ranjan Sharma
Dhurandhar continues to enjoy widespread acclaim while maintaining a strong box-office performance. Though Aditya Dhar’s intense thriller is set in Pakistan, the film was not shot in India or Pakistan, contrary to common assumptions. Instead, the makers opted for an unexpected Asian country to recreate the soul of Lyari. Through meticulously designed sets, authentic street detailing, and a carefully captured local atmosphere, the team succeeded in bringing the town’s raw energy to life. Here’s a closer look at how Lyari was recreated with striking realism in this surprising location.
How the Iconic Town of Lyari Was Recreated for Dhurandhar
The Lyari neighbourhood shown on screen wasn’t a real place but an expansive six-acre film set, meticulously crafted under the vision of production designer Saini S Johray. Showcasing the scale of the effort, Johray shared a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram on December 16, originally posted by YouTuber The Fact Boii, which offered insight into the detailed set construction and filming process. The clip revealed how every corner of the town was carefully built to support the narrative and bring Lyari’s gritty realism to life.
The elaborate Lyari set was constructed in Bangkok, Thailand, with the collaboration of more than 500 Indian and Thai artists, many of whom had contributed to celebrated projects such as The Family Man and The Night Manager. Originally, the production team had intended to build the set in Mumbai, but unpredictable weather conditions prompted the shift to Thailand, which offered a more suitable environment for executing the ambitious, large-scale design of the town.
To capture the authentic essence of Pakistan, the team dived deep into newspaper archives, historic headlines, classic Pakistani films, and YouTube footage. Every detail, from wall textures to window grills, was recreated to reflect Lyari’s distinctive character. With the majority of the crew being Thai artists, the production team took extra care to ensure that no element revealed the set’s true location. Their dedication and attention to detail paid off, delivering a highly realistic and immersive Lyari that felt true to life on the big screen.
Why the Team Chose Thailand and How the Lyari Set Was Built
In a July 15 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Saini S Johray revealed that shooting in Mumbai was unfeasible due to the monsoon season and the massive scale of the project. “We needed a six-acre set, which no studio could accommodate, and the July rains made Mumbai impossible,” he explained.
After exploring several countries, we settled on Thailand, which provided the perfect space for such a large-scale set.” Johray also highlighted the tight schedule, saying, “Constructing the set in just 20 days was a huge challenge. Since we couldn’t bring 500 people from India, we collaborated with 300–400 Thai artists, bringing the total workforce to around 500, all working day and night to complete the sprawling Lyari set.”
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