On screen, it is all power and paranoia—arched corridors echoing with footsteps, glass walls framing quiet tension, and a sprawling Karachi mansion that signals the rise of a man who has everything to lose. Off screen, however, this same house sits far from Lyari’s dense sprawl, tucked instead into the calmer, greener rhythms of Amritsar. In one of the most talked-about reveals surrounding "Dhurandhar: The Revenge," the lavish bungalow that audiences believed belonged to Hamza Ali Mazari is, in reality, a design-forward luxury residence in Punjab named Ananda. And in that revelation lies a story that is as much about cinema as it is about architecture, illusion, and the quiet brilliance of Indian locations doubling for somewhere else entirely.

　　Reel Meets Reality

　　The cinematic language of "Dhurandhar 2" hinges on transformation—of identity, of geography, of perception. Nowhere is this more evident than in the villa Hamza gifts Yalina, a home that visually cements his ascent within Karachi’s underworld. The house is designed to impress: expansive, controlled, and undeniably opulent. It feels rooted in its supposed setting, drawing from a visual vocabulary that audiences instinctively associate with Pakistan’s urban elite spaces.

　　And yet, the illusion is seamless because the foundation is real. The house, revealed by its designers 23DC Architects, is a 16,000-square-foot private residence completed in 2024. Named Ananda, it was conceived as a sanctuary that balances modern architecture with natural elements—a philosophy that inadvertently made it a perfect cinematic chameleon.

　　What makes this reveal particularly compelling is not just the geographical switch, but how convincingly the space performs on screen. There is no sense of compromise, no visual dissonance. Instead, the home’s design—rooted in clean lines, textured materials, and spatial fluidity—translates effortlessly into the film’s narrative needs. It becomes Lyari not because it imitates it, but because cinema, at its best, persuades you to believe what you see.

　　Architecture As Narrative

　　Step beyond the screen, and Ananda reveals itself as more than just a filming location—it is a carefully orchestrated living space where design does the storytelling. The house opens with a restrained yet striking façade, where muted greys meet warm wooden accents. This interplay continues as one moves inward, where courtyards act as breathing spaces, punctuating the architecture with moments of pause and light.

　　Inside, the home leans into a quiet luxury. Double-height ceilings lend an airy expansiveness, while a neutral palette ensures that the materials—marble, wood, glass—take centre focus without overwhelming the senses. A sculptural black marble staircase anchors the interiors, offering both drama and balance against softer, off-white flooring. Large glass panels dissolve the boundary between inside and out, allowing daylight to shape the mood of each room through the day.

　　The design language here is deliberate. It avoids excess, instead opting for precision. Bedrooms are minimal yet comfortable, with modern fixtures and uncluttered layouts. The living spaces follow a similar ethos—plush but not ostentatious, curated yet liveable. Even the foyer, marked by a crystal chandelier and wood-panelled detailing, feels less like a display and more like an introduction to the home’s overall rhythm.

　　Outdoors, the narrative shifts again. Gardens weave around the structure, softening its geometry, while a swimming pool and lounge areas create pockets of leisure. There is a sense of retreat here, a quiet luxury that contrasts sharply with the tension the house holds within the film. It is this duality—serene in reality, charged on screen—that makes Ananda such a compelling presence.

　　Cinema Without Borders

　　The story of this house is also the story of a larger filmmaking strategy. Director Aditya Dhar’s decision to recreate Pakistan entirely within India speaks to both logistical pragmatism and creative ambition. Over the course of production, locations across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Maharashtra, and even Bangkok were stitched together to construct a believable visual world.

　　Punjab, in particular, plays a central role. Its architectural and cultural overlaps with regions across the border allow it to serve as a convincing stand-in, especially when paired with meticulous production design. Ananda is not the first Amritsar property to feature in the franchise—Lal Kothi, a historic haveli, previously doubled as another Lyari residence. Together, these spaces form a layered visual identity that blurs national boundaries without ever leaving Indian soil.

　　This approach extends beyond aesthetics. It reflects a deeper understanding of how geography functions in cinema—not as a fixed reality, but as a flexible construct shaped by perspective. In Dhurandhar 2, every street, every skyline, every interior is part of a carefully assembled illusion. And yet, the illusion works because it is built on authenticity—real places, real textures, real light.

　　There is, perhaps, an unintended poetry in this. A film about borders and identities constructs its world using spaces that quietly mirror each other across those very divides. The result is a cinematic experience where the lines between here and there, real and imagined, begin to blur.

　　And at the centre of it all stands a house in Amritsar—unassuming in its actual location, extraordinary in its design, and now immortalised as one of the most recognisable homes in recent Bollywood memory. A place that proves, quite effortlessly, that sometimes the most compelling journeys in travel and cinema are the ones that never really cross a border at all.

　　FAQs

　　1. Where is the Lyari bungalow from "Dhurandhar 2" actually located?

　　The house is located in Amritsar, Punjab, and is a private luxury residence called Ananda.

　　2. Who designed the house featured in "Dhurandhar 2"?

　　The villa was designed by 23DC Architects, an Indian architecture and design firm.

　　3. How big is the Ananda house?

　　The property spans approximately 16,000 sq ft and sits on a large, landscaped plot.

　　4. Was "Dhurandhar 2" actually shot in Pakistan?

　　No, the film recreated Pakistan entirely using locations across India and select international sets.

　　5. What makes the Ananda house stand out architecturally?

　　It blends modern design with natural elements, featuring courtyards, glass walls, marble accents, and expansive outdoor spaces.