Internet spots Hamza in Balochistan: BLA's Pak attack clip has shades of Dhurandhar

Balochistan Liberation Army leader Bashir Zaib rides a motorcycle through a rocky, unforgiving desert while armed men move in formation beside him. The visuals are uncanny: wind-swept terrain, militant gear, flowing beard, unhurried confidence, eyes fixed forward – a scene that seems straight out of Dhurandhar, screaming Hamza. Several users on social media shared the video of the BLA leader with the song 'na to karwaan ki talaash hai' playing in the background.

The similarities are striking. It is as if Zaib and his men were on a movie set, with every move carefully choreographed.

The dust rises behind the tyres as the bike cuts through the barren landscape.

The video instantly reminds of the scene where Hamza rides his bike through the mountains to meet Shirani Ahmad Baloch in the Baloch Union Force (BUF) camp to get weapons. This was to facilitate shipments arranged between Rehman Dakait and the ISI (Major Iqbal).

A REEL-LIFE ENTRY SHOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A REAL WAR

In the early hours of January 31 – coincidentally, a day after Dhurandhar dropped on OTT - Baloch fighters launched what the BLA described as its biggest and most audacious offensive yet against the Pakistani state, Operation Herof-2, following a similar coordinated attack in August 2024.

As clashes erupted across multiple locations, a video surfaced showing Baloch fighters speeding through the desert on motorcycles, weapons slung, formations tight. In the middle of a deadly operation that reportedly claimed over 140 lives, the clip took on a life of its own online. Set to Dhurandhar’s background score, slowed down, looped endlessly, it travelled far beyond the conflict zone.

The resemblance was eerie.

The geography matched.
The aesthetic matched.
Even the posture matched.

It was as if Hamza Ali had ridden straight out of a screenplay and into a geopolitical flashpoint.

The man with long hair, a big build, astride a motorcycle enters the frame, and the internet explodes: “Balochistan has its own Hamza.”

In Dhurandhar, Ranveer Singh’s Hamza Ali doesn’t merely appear; he declares. The motorcycle is not a vehicle, it’s a statement. The desert isn’t just a location, it’s a character. Every frame is engineered to project myth, rebellion, and menace, polished to cinematic perfection.

So when real-world imagery ticks the same boxes, the comparison can feel inevitable. Not because reality is copying cinema, but because cinema has trained us to recognise power in a certain visual language.

It was this imagery that led some users online to label Bashir Zaib as “Balochistan’s Dhurandhar Hamza Ali".

In Dhurandhar, Hamza, an Indian spy on a covert mission to infiltrate the criminal underworld of Karachi's Lyari, poses as a Baloch man. To gain entry, he aligns himself with Rehman Dakait’s gang. But acceptance demands more than loyalty or violence; Hamza must fully embody one of them. His transformation moves beyond actions to appearance and demeanour, channeling the raw, defiant energy of Baloch fighters, the same vibe now seen in the viral videos.

The timing proved crucial. The attack occurred just a day after Dhurandhar premiered on Netflix, keeping its storyline, characters, and visual canvas vivid in public memory.

In statements released by BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, the group claimed its fighters had carried out coordinated operations across Kharan, Mastung, Tump, and Pasni, while clashes continued in other parts of the region.

The BLA also claimed its presence in parts of Quetta and Noshki, asserting that Pakistani military positions had been “repelled.” According to the group, more than 200 Pakistani security personnel were killed and at least 17 captured, though it described these figures as preliminary estimates that could rise.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has witnessed decades of insurgency driven by demands for autonomy or independence. Separatist groups cite political marginalisation, enforced disappearances, and disputes over control of natural resources as core grievances.

The BLA is among the most prominent of these groups and has been designated a terrorist organisation by Pakistan and several other countries. Despite repeated military operations against it, the BLA continues to find support in pockets of the province.

Videos from last week established that locals backing for BLA fighters, who, after raining deaths on Pakistani soldiers, reached Balochistan. Locals are seen bringing food for the BLA rebels while children interact with them fearlessly like one does with their own. The scenes sharply contrast with Pakistani claims that the insurgents lack support from locals.

The Baloch rebels’ offensive against Pakistan appears to have paused.

Dhurandhar shows no signs of slowing down. With Dhurandhar 2 set for release next month, social media has already predicted a Dhurandhar 3 and its plot.