Mera Lyari

Mera Lyari is an upcoming Pakistani sports drama film written and directed by Abu Aleeha. It stars Ayesha Omar, Dananeer Mobeen, Samiya Mumtaz, Nayyar Ejaz, Adnan Shah Tipu, and Trinette Lucas. It is scheduled to premiere at the UK Asian Film Festival in London on 2 May 2026 and to be released theatrically in Pakistan on 8 May 2026.

The film was backed by the Sindh government and announced by officials as a response to Dhurandhar, which they said misrepresented Lyari, Karachi.

Premise

The film follows a football coach who returns to Lyari to train a girls' football team. The story centres on two girls, Afsana and Kushmala, who pursue football despite family and social restrictions.

Cast

• Ayesha Omar as a football coach
• Dananeer Mobeen as Afsana Baloch
• Trinette Lucas as Kushmala
• Samiya Mumtaz
• Nayyar Ejaz
• Paras Masroor
• Adnan Shah Tipu
• Shoaib Hassan

Production

The film was announced in December 2025 after Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the Sindh government would release Mera Lyari in response to Dhurandhar, an Indian film he said misrepresented Lyari.

Later that month, Ayesha Omar unveiled the film's first posters. Coverage of the posters identified Abu Aleeha as the film's writer and Director and listed the cast as including Omar, Dananeer Mobeen, Samiya Mumtaz, Nayyar Ejaz, Trinette Lucas, Paras Masroor, Adnan Shah Tipu, and Shoaib Hassan.

In January 2026, Memon said the provincial government had worked on Mera Lyari, that the film had been made on a small budget, and that a theatrical release was being planned.

The film was shot in Lyari and used a mainly local cast.

Release

Mera Lyari is scheduled to have its world premiere on 2 May 2026 at the 28th UK Asian Film Festival in London. It is then scheduled for nationwide theatrical release in Pakistan on 8 May 2026.