Veteran politician and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nabeel Gabol has claimed that streaming giant Netflix is working on a major scripted series centered on Karachi’s Lyari neighborhood.
Gabol says he has been approached by a Netflix production team about a proposed three-season show that would focus on what he calls the “real Lyari,” its power structures, political rivalries and social fabric, as a counter to what he terms distorted depictions in foreign films and series.
He has also claimed that representatives of the streaming giant plan to visit Pakistan in March to move discussions forward.
One of the most eye-catching parts of his account is his claim about casting. According to Gabol, the makers have shown interest in Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, famous for his role as Pablo Escobar in Narcos, due to a perceived physical resemblance. He suggested that the character would be loosely based on his own political career and experiences in Lyari.
These remarks come in the backdrop of a separate controversy involving the Indian film Dhurandhar, which features a character named “Jameel Jamali” that Gabol believes is modelled on him.
He has dismissed the portrayal as inaccurate and argued that his real-life persona in Lyari is far more bold and forceful than the film suggests.
The PPP leader has repeatedly objected to what he views as one-sided international portrayals of Lyari, insisting that the area’s cultural heritage, footballing reputation, and community resilience are routinely overshadowed by its association with violence and crime.
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