Dhurandhar / Supreme Court Lawyer Terms 'Dhurandhar' as Lived Reality, Says 'I've Heard Bullets, Seen Dead Bodies'
·1 week ago·3 min read
Key Points
Supreme Court lawyer Pragya Paarijat Singh's viral post detailed growing up in Prayagraj during Atiq Ahmed's era, calling the film 'Dhurandhar' a reflection of lived memory, not fiction.
Bhubaneswar, Mar 22: A deeply personal and chilling account by a Supreme Court lawyer has gone viral, striking a nerve across social media as she explained why the film 'Dhurandhar' resonated so strongly with many Indians - not as fiction, but as lived reality.
In a detailed post, lawyer Pragya Paarijat Singh recalled growing up in Prayagraj during a time when, she said, violence and fear were a part of everyday life under the shadow of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed.
“Saw the opening scene of Dhurandhar & it wasn’t cinema for me…it was memory,” Singh wrote.
“I grew up in Prayagraj…where fear was routine and gunshots weren’t rare.”
She went on to describe the assassination of Raju Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, who was gunned down in broad daylight on January 25, 2005 - an incident that shocked the state and remains one of the most high-profile political killings in Uttar Pradesh.
“He was gunned down in broad daylight by Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed… I recall cause it was my sister’s birthday… I can recall the dreaded face of my parents until she reached safely… it was inexplicably terrifying.”
The lawyer also remembered the aftermath - the grief of Pooja Pal, Raju Pal’s wife, who was widowed within days of her marriage.
“Her wailing voice & mehendi stained hands still remain etched in my mind. I was in 9th class.”
Her account went beyond a single incident, painting a grim picture of a society gripped by fear.
“I’ve heard bullet fires, bombs, seen dead bodies & lived under curfew… Gangwars, killings, extortion, rape, arson was normalised eventually… Hindus, Muslims, no one was safe.”
Singh described how families adapted to survive - waiting anxiously for loved ones, seeking political protection, and living with the constant threat of violence.
“Mothers waited on terraces till daughters returned home… Families leaned on political protection just to survive.”
The post has drawn widespread attention particularly because it links personal memory with the themes portrayed in 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', which reportedly depicts alleged connections between organised crime and anti-national elements - including claims of links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Also Read: Raj Arjun Reveals How Daughter Sara became his ‘Dhurandhar’ During Struggles
The lawyer concluded her post by reflecting on what she described as a turning point in Uttar Pradesh’s law-and-order situation under current Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“So when I see people romanticise that era… I remember what it felt like to grow up under it… the end of that gunda raj… brought relief many of us had prayed for.”
It can be mentioned here that slain gangster Atiq Ahmed is portrayed as Atif Ahmed in Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
In a detailed post, lawyer Pragya Paarijat Singh recalled growing up in Prayagraj during a time when, she said, violence and fear were a part of everyday life under the shadow of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed.
“Saw the opening scene of Dhurandhar & it wasn’t cinema for me…it was memory,” Singh wrote.
“I grew up in Prayagraj…where fear was routine and gunshots weren’t rare.”
Saw the opening scene of Dhurandhar & it wasn’t cinema for me…it was memory.
— Pragya Paarijat Singh (@parijatpragya) March 21, 2026
I grew up in Prayagraj in a neighbourhood called Neewa,where fear was routine and gunshots weren’t rare.Raju Pal MLA-often called “Raju bhai” lived right opposite us.A man people called Robinhood…
She went on to describe the assassination of Raju Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, who was gunned down in broad daylight on January 25, 2005 - an incident that shocked the state and remains one of the most high-profile political killings in Uttar Pradesh.
“He was gunned down in broad daylight by Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed… I recall cause it was my sister’s birthday… I can recall the dreaded face of my parents until she reached safely… it was inexplicably terrifying.”
The lawyer also remembered the aftermath - the grief of Pooja Pal, Raju Pal’s wife, who was widowed within days of her marriage.
“Her wailing voice & mehendi stained hands still remain etched in my mind. I was in 9th class.”
Her account went beyond a single incident, painting a grim picture of a society gripped by fear.
“I’ve heard bullet fires, bombs, seen dead bodies & lived under curfew… Gangwars, killings, extortion, rape, arson was normalised eventually… Hindus, Muslims, no one was safe.”
Singh described how families adapted to survive - waiting anxiously for loved ones, seeking political protection, and living with the constant threat of violence.
“Mothers waited on terraces till daughters returned home… Families leaned on political protection just to survive.”
The post has drawn widespread attention particularly because it links personal memory with the themes portrayed in 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', which reportedly depicts alleged connections between organised crime and anti-national elements - including claims of links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Also Read: Raj Arjun Reveals How Daughter Sara became his ‘Dhurandhar’ During Struggles
The lawyer concluded her post by reflecting on what she described as a turning point in Uttar Pradesh’s law-and-order situation under current Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“So when I see people romanticise that era… I remember what it felt like to grow up under it… the end of that gunda raj… brought relief many of us had prayed for.”
It can be mentioned here that slain gangster Atiq Ahmed is portrayed as Atif Ahmed in Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
📱 Get Argus News App
✨📰 60 Word News🎬 Argus Podcast📺 Live TV and Breaking News🔔 Free Notification Alerts
Download Free:
Related Topics
Explore more stories