Mera Lyari, Pakistan's answer to Dhurandhar, pulled from theatres after selling just 22 tickets? Here's what we know

Pakistani film Mera Lyari, which had generated attention for being positioned as a response to Ranveer Singh’s controversial blockbuster Dhurandhar, has reportedly been removed from theatres after an extremely poor box office opening.

According to multiple reports, the film allegedly sold only 22 tickets in certain theatres before exhibitors decided to pull screenings due to negligible audience turnout.

Why Mera Lyari drew attention before release

Directed by Abu Aleeha, Mera Lyari was promoted as a film attempting to present a more grounded and positive image of Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood, which many Pakistani politicians and commentators claimed had been portrayed negatively in Dhurandhar.

The film stars Ayesha Omar, Dananeer Mobeen and Samiya Mumtaz, and revolves around women’s football and the struggles faced by young girls growing up in Lyari.

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Interestingly, the Sindh government had publicly backed the project, with officials previously describing it as a cinematic response to Dhurandhar.

Reports claim theatres quickly cancelled shows

However, despite the online conversation around the film, reports suggest the buzz did not translate into actual footfalls.

Several Pakistani media reports claimed that cinemas began cancelling or replacing screenings within a day because of empty halls and weak advance bookings.

While official box office figures have not been released by the makers yet, the “22 tickets” statistic dominated online chatter, with social media users trolling the film’s theatrical performance.

The Dhurandhar connection made comparisons inevitable

The comparisons became particularly noticeable because Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, emerged as one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of recent times.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the action thriller sparked controversy for its portrayal of Pakistan and Baloch characters, eventually leading to criticism from sections of Pakistani media and political circles.

Ironically, despite Indian films officially remaining restricted in Pakistan since 2019, reports around Dhurandhar claimed the film became massively popular through piracy and unofficial viewing networks inside the country.

That made Mera Lyari’s underwhelming theatrical response even more widely discussed online. The film had also premiered at the UK Asian Film Festival before its Pakistan release earlier this month.

So far, the makers of Mera Lyari have not officially responded to the reports regarding theatres removing the film or the claims surrounding ticket sales.