1 hour agoEntertainment
36LENS
3 SourcesLyari, Pakistan
thebalanced.newsPakistani Film Mera Lyari Faces Poor Box Office After Release Amid Dhurandhar Comparisons
Pakistani film Mera Lyari, directed by Abu Aleeha and centered on women's football in Karachi's Lyari neighborhood, was released on May 8 but faced poor box office performance, reportedly selling as few as 22 tickets in some locations and being pulled from theatres shortly after. The film was promoted by some officials as a response to the Indian blockbuster Dhurandhar, which achieved significant commercial success. However, the director stated Mera Lyari was not intended as a reply. The film struggled to attract audiences despite local government support and media attention.
Political Bias
13%80%7%
Sentiment
35%
AI Analysis
Political bias across 3 sources
● Left 13%● Center 80%● Right 7%
The articles present perspectives from both Pakistani officials who framed Mera Lyari as a cultural response to the Indian film Dhurandhar and the director who denied this intent. Coverage includes Pakistani media reports on the film's poor reception and contrasts with Dhurandhar's commercial success. The framing reflects regional sensitivities and political undertones but maintains a focus on factual reporting without overt editorializing.
Sentiment — Neutral (35/100)
The overall tone across the articles is neutral to negative, focusing on the film's commercial failure and limited audience turnout. While acknowledging the film's thematic intentions and government backing, the coverage highlights its poor box office performance and removal from theatres. The sentiment balances recognition of the film's aims with factual reporting of its reception, avoiding sensationalism.
How 3 sources covered this story
Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.
| Source | Their headline | Bias | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| economictimes | Mera Lyari, Pakistan's response to Dhurandhar, sells just 22 tickets; removed from theatres within days as Aditya Dhar's spy thriller crossed Rs 1300 crore | Center | Neutral |
| indiatvnews | Mera Lyari, Pakistan's alleged answer to Dhurandhar, removed from theatres after selling just 22 tickets | Center | Neutral |
| firstpost | Mera Lyari, Pakistan's answer to Dhurandhar, pulled from theatres after selling just 22 tickets? Here's what we know | Center | Negative |
Coverage timeline
firstpost broke this story on 14 May, 07:04 am. Other outlets followed.
- 1firstpost14 May, 07:04 amMera Lyari, Pakistan's answer to Dhurandhar, pulled from theatres after selling just 22 tickets? Here's what we know
- 2indiatvnews14 May, 07:38 amMera Lyari, Pakistan's alleged answer to Dhurandhar, removed from theatres after selling just 22 tickets
- 3economictimes14 May, 07:39 amMera Lyari, Pakistan's response to Dhurandhar, sells just 22 tickets; removed from theatres within days as Aditya Dhar's spy thriller crossed Rs 1300 crore
Lens Score breakdown
36/100
Public interest17/100
Coverage gap90%
Story is receiving appropriate media attention relative to public interest.
Who's involved
Institutions and figures named across source coverage.
Government
Sindh GovernmentSindh Information MinistrySindh Ministry
Story context
- Category
- Entertainment
- Location
- Lyari, Pakistan
- Sources analysed
- 3
- Last analysed
- 14 May 2026
- Key entities
- LyariCinema of PakistanCinema of IndiaPakistanIndiaSamiya MumtazAyesha OmerSocial mediaBox officeKarachiAditya DharCrore
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