New Delhi, Dec 18: The ban on Dhurandhar by Pakistan and some Gulf nations has not affected its run at the box office. The movie is showing no signs of slowing down, but the ISI has a major problem back in Pakistan.

The movie, which deals with the 1999 Khandahar hijacking, Mumbai 26/11 attacks and also the Lyari gang wars, has not gone down well with the Pakistan establishment, and all attempts have been made to block it. However, the ISI has completely lost control over the digital space and attempts at a blackout have failed miserably.

At least 2 million illegal downloads of the film have been reported in Pakistan in just two weeks. It has gone on to become the most pirated movie in Pakistan, beating 2.0 and Raees. The ban in Pakistan may have cost the movie makers Rs 50-60 crore, but the message about Pakistan being a complete terror state has been sent across Pakistan.

Although it makes no difference to the Pakistanis about what their country is, it is a psychological win for India, which has managed to spread the message despite the movie being banned. The Pakistanis are in particular upset about the portrayal of Lyari. The establishment is so desperate to counter this narrative that it has decided to fast-track a film about Lyari showing the place in a good light.

“Indian movie Dhurandhar is yet another example of negative propaganda by the Indian film industry against Pakistan, especially targeting Lyari. Lyari is not violence — it is culture, peace, talent, and resilience. Next month, Mera Lyari will release, showing the true face of Lyari: peace, prosperity, and pride. #MeraLyari,” Sindh’s Senior Provincial Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon said on X.

The ISI, despite monitoring the internet relating to the movie, has completely failed to take control. Torrents and piracy links are all over the internet, which are being used to download the movie.

The Dark Web experts in the country are using the servers in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia to ensure that the Pakistanis are able to download the film illegally and watch it. The Pakistanis are downloading the movie through Telegram channels, underground streams and also the VPN. The very fact that it has gone on to become the most pirated film to date only shows that the ISI has failed to control the situation, and all attempts to blackout the movie have fallen flat.

Officials say that this surge in the number of downloads indicates the curiosity that the people in Pakistan have about the movie.

While some may not agree with the narrative of the film, many are appreciative of the acting in the movie. Many Pakistanis are creating reels and memes on social media, it has come to light.

The social media accounts linked to both the ISI and ISPR have been using smaller clips in the movie to mock the narrative India has set. They are trying to pass off the content with false narratives against India.

The agencies say that there are attempts by the ISI-linked social media handles to manipulate the content to suit the local narrative. Experts say that the manner in which the movie Mera Lyari is being fast-tracked for a January release and the way in which the ISI is desperately trying to block out the film suggest that the Pakistanis are on the defensive.

The fact that the curiosity around the film is growing with each passing day and the rate at which it is being illegally downloaded only shows that the ISI has failed in its actions, the expert also points out.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also filed a legal challenge in a Karachi court questioning the images of the late Benazir Bhutto being used. The petition seeks an FIR against the cast and crew of the movie Dhurandhar.

The film’s star cast is led by Ranveer Singh, who plays Hamza, an Indian spy who infiltrates Pakistan’s Lyari to dismantle terror networks, which are backed by the ISI. The cast also includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Rakesh Bedi.

New Delhi, Dec 10: With the Indian agencies cracking down heavily on the narcotics trade, Intelligence Bureau officials have warned about an uptick in the smuggling of fake currency notes. In the past two weeks, several operations have been carried out in various parts of the country in which fake currency rackets have been busted.

The fake currency mafia is controlled by the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate, which is based in Pakistan. While the syndicate is trying to find newer routes and partners to further the narcotics trade, it is also stepping up operations relating to fake Indian currency. The ISI needs funds to resurrect its terror groups, which were largely beaten down during Operation Sindoor.

The fake currency racket had taken a slight backseat for some years, but now there are full-fledged plans to resume operations on a very large scale. Malda in West Bengal remains the main hub for this racket in India. Now with an unfriendly regime in place in Bangladesh, the ISI sees an opportunity to scale up operations.

All the fake currency that is being printed in Pakistan is first routed into Bangladesh. The ISI finds no problem in routing fake notes into Bangladesh, as Islamabad and Dhaka have close ties today. The sea route has been opened up, and the visa process is much simpler for Pakistanis, and this is being taken advantage of by the ISI.

From Bangladesh, the operatives push the fake currency into Malda, following which it is circulated across the country. Officials report that apart from West Bengal, mini modules have been set up in various parts of the country. The notes are transported either from Malda or Murshidabad in West Bengal to the rest of the country.

An official said there has been an increase in such cases, as the ISI and D-Syndicate are pushing it massively. There is a desperate need for funds as the ISI is not only trying to revive terror groups in Pakistan, but is also creating another front in Bangladesh. It wants to engage India on both fronts, and hence the simultaneous push is being made, the official explained.

These gangs operating the racket in India have been coming up with various ways to push fake notes into the market. In Gujarat, a gang that was running a money-doubling scam was busted. It was found that victims were lured into the scheme, and they were given fake Indian currency. This gang was operating mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, the probe has revealed.

While the Bangladesh-West Bengal route is the primary one for this racket, there is also a fresh push to smuggle these notes through the UAE into Kerala. Over the years, Kasargod in Kerala has become a major hub for smuggling fake currency notes.

M.B. Moosa, Abdul Rahman, K.M. Hamza, Kallatra Abdul Ha Khader Haji, Irabhim Soopi, K.S. Abdullah, and Kadavath Atta are the ones who have been running this racket. The notes from Pakistan would reach these persons through the UAE route.

Officials say that the Kerala route is one of the hardest to control. There is a huge rush at the airports owing to the number of people visiting the Gulf nations. The ISI has taken advantage of the stress on the security mechanism at these airports in Kerala. Most of the time, these persons get away because the customs formations are understaffed. This makes checking everyone difficult.

Further, the detection has also become very difficult owing to the quality of the notes that are being printed. An Intelligence Bureau official said that the notes are printed in government printing presses in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Multan, and Peshawar. These are the same places where the official Pakistani Rupee is also printed. Hence, the quality of the Indian notes being printed in Pakistan is of very superior quality, and this is making detection a challenge, the officer explained.

The gravity of the problem in India, courtesy this fresh push by Dawood and the ISI, can be seen in a report published by the US State Department. “India faces an increasing inflow of high-quality counterfeit currency, which is produced primarily in Pakistan but smuggled to India through multiple international routes. Criminal networks exchange counterfeit currency for genuine notes, which not only facilitates money laundering but also represents a threat to the Indian economy,” the report says.

New Delhi, Dec 5: Hailing India-Russia ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the friendship between the two countries has remained like a pole star amidst the ups and downs faced by the world in the past 80 years.

While making a joint press statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday, PM Modi said that the ties between two nations have stood the test of time and thanked Putin for his friendship and unwavering commitment to India while recalling the efforts made by the Russian leadership to elevate bilateral ties.

“Today, I am delighted to welcome President Putin to the 23rd India-Russia Summit today. His visit comes at a time when our bilateral relations are experiencing several historic milestones. 25 years back, President Putin laid the foundation for our strategic partnership. 15 years ago, in 2010, our partnership was granted the status of a Special Privileged Strategic Partnership. For the past two and a half decades, he (President Putin) has nurtured this relationship with his leadership and vision.

“His (President Putin) leadership, under all circumstances, has elevated our ties to new heights. I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Putin, my friend, for this deep friendship and unwavering commitment to India. The world has seen many ups and downs over the past eight decades. Humanity has faced many challenges and crises and amidst all this, the India-Russia friendship has remained like a pole star. This relationship, founded on mutual respect and deep trust, has always stood the test of time,” he added.

Recalling recent heinous terror attacks in both countries, PM Modi said that India and Russia have stood together in the fight against terrorism.

“Today we also discussed regional and global issues. India and Russia have long cooperated shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism. Whether it’s the terrorist attack in Pahalgam or the cowardly attack on Crocus City Hall — the root of all these incidents is the same. India firmly believes that terrorism is a direct attack on the values ​​of humanity and global unity against it (terrorism) is our greatest strength.”

PM Modi announced that India and Russia will cooperate to train Indian seafarers in polar waters. “We will now cooperate to train Indian seafarers in polar waters. This will not only strengthen our cooperation in the Arctic, but will also create new employment opportunities for India’s youth.”

Reiterating India’s stance on Ukraine conflict, he said, “India has advocated for peace in Ukraine from the very beginning. We welcome all efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution to this issue. India has always been ready to contribute and will continue to do so.”

PM Modi also termed energy security as a strong and important pillar of India-Russia partnership. He stated that cooperation between India and Russia in civil nuclear energy has been crucial in realising shared clean energy priorities.

“Energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership. Our decades-old cooperation in civil nuclear energy has been crucial in realising our shared clean energy priorities. We will continue this win-win cooperation. Our cooperation in critical minerals is crucial to ensuring secure and diversified supply chains across the world,” stated PM Modi.

Earlier, taking the India-Russia Special and Privileged Partnership ahead, PM Modi warmly welcomed President Putin at the Hyderabad House to participate in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

With both countries sharing a longstanding and time-tested bond, the two leaders are holding comprehensive and detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relations.