Saagar Kote
‘Dhurandhar The Revenge’ is an Indian Hindi-language film that serves as a sequel to the 2025 movie ‘Dhurandhar,’ continuing the story of Hamza Ali Mazari. The narrative reveals that Hamza is, in fact, Jaskirat Singh Rangi, an Indian agent rigorously trained by Ajay Sanyal of India’s intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). With Rehman Dakait’s death, a power vacuum emerges in the volatile streets of Lyari. For Ajay Sanyal, who is setting his sights on larger targets within Pakistan, it is crucial for Hamza to take command of Lyari and establish himself as a dominant force in the Pakistani criminal underworld.
The crime action drama follows the convergence of Hamza’s former identity as Jaskirat with his mission in the Lyari gang wars, putting the future of several key figures in Pakistan’s terrorist networks at stake. One of the most important players in this equation is Major Iqbal of the ISI, who seeks to achieve his objectives against India at any cost. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Major Iqbal Emerges as a Severe Threat to Hamza Ali Mazari’s Mission in Pakistan
Major Iqbal plays a pivotal role within the power structure of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). His menacing presence constantly leads to dangerous outcomes for those around him. With the singular aim of wreaking havoc on India, he mobilizes his resources and his network of terrorists to plan attacks against the neighboring country. Iqbal is also part of the inner circle overseen by Bade Sahab, aka Dawood Ibrahim. His battle of ego with Hamza is at the heart of the story and shapes Lyari’s destiny. He also establishes himself as an important religious figure who commands the unfailing loyalty of several Jihadis, willing to sacrifice their lives for his plans against India.
Despite all the intelligence surrounding him, Iqbal fails to deduce Hamza’s real identity for a major part of the story. This leads to his eventual downfall and desperation. The climactic showdown between Hamza and Iqbal is the narrative’s decisive moment and serves as a charged moment of revenge and justice. Iqbal is partly inspired by the real life of a terrorist named Ilyas Kashmiri. Though there is no real-life figure named Major Iqbal within the ranks of the ISI, the film constructs elements of his character from Ilyas Kashmiri’s life.
Ilyas Kashmiri’s Life History Reveals Important Clues About His Personality
Mohammed Ilyas Kashmiri was reportedly born in early 1964 in Bhimber, Kashmir, and began his life as a jihadist after briefly attending Allama Iqbal Open University. In the 1980s, he fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, an experience that cost him an eye and a finger. Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, Ilyas joined the militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) to challenge Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region. He rose to become HuJI’s chief commander of Jammu and Kashmir and led a unit known as Harkat-ul-Jihad Brigade 313. Accounts vary on whether he was in the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) or even served in the military. Ilyas gained notoriety in February 2000 after Brigade 313 attacked Indian soldiers near the Line of Control, capturing and beheading an infantry soldier.
This act, allegedly in retaliation for a massacre of Pakistani civilians, was reportedly rewarded by Pakistani generals. Around 2005, Ilyas and Brigade 313 relocated to Pakistan’s tribal regions near the Afghan border, where they joined al-Qaeda and the Taliban to fight US forces. HuJI was implicated in the March 2006 suicide bombing of the US consulate in Karachi. He had allegedly met with David Coleman Headley, who scouted targets for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Ilyas was later identified as the alleged mastermind behind a series of raids on Pakistani police and intelligence buildings in 2009 and 2010. By June 2010, he was reportedly the leader of al-Qaeda in Kashmir. Ilyas Kashmiri’s jihadist life reportedly ended on June 3, 2011, when he and nine other militants were killed in a US drone strike on a compound in the Ghwakhwa area of South Waziristan.
The two ‘Dhurandhar’ films utilize certain alleged details from Ilyas’s life to develop Major Iqbal’s character arc. Specifically, the alliance between Iqbal and David Headley during the 2008 attacks in Mumbai is a major part of the story. In an interview with Grazia, Arjun Rampal, who portrays Major Iqbal in the two ‘Dhurandhar’ movies, said that playing the character was not an easy experience. He stated, “I wanted to get out of the character as soon as I could.” The actor added, “I felt horrible when you’re doing it because you love your country so much, but I guess that’s what an actor’s job is and you just dive into it.” Major Iqbal is ultimately a character who exists somewhere between fiction and reality.
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