Rajkumar Hirani’s “Dunki”: A Donkey Flight That Crashes Bore!

Bollywood’s Baadshah strikes again but has failed to impress us this time! Shah Rukh Khan hits the big screens now with a comedy-drama on illegal immigration titled “Dunki”. Co-written, co-produced and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Dunki runs for 2 hours and 40 minutes and was released in theaters on December 21, 2023.

Dunki (2023) Synopsis:

Imagine being an immigrant in a foreign land without your passport and visa. That’s what happened with Manu (Taapsee Pannu) and her friends who hailed from a small village in Punjab, India. They had far-reaching dreams that landed them on a perilous journey to England with the help of an ex-Indian Army soldier named Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan). They went to England without their passports, visas, or tickets as they were not granted any by the British Embassy. What’s going to happen to them during their journey to an unknown land? Will their courage suffice or will they succumb to unforeseen circumstances?

Dunki (2023): Trailer By Red Chillies Entertainment

Dunki (2023) Official Trailer:

The Good:

This is something new in Hindi cinema. Dunki is a fresh new story about illegal immigration. I have never come across a film recently that portrays this subject, and I believe that writer and director Rajkumar Hirani has made a great decision by making a film on this. The film has funny dialogues in certain instances that can make you laugh. It also has spectacular camerawork in stunning locations across Kashmir, Budapest, and London.

“O Maahi” Featuring Shah Rukh Khan With Taapsee Pannu!

The Bad:

The screenplay of Dunki becomes predictable and has not been established clearly. Although there are some comical moments like the visa interviews of the immigration seekers where they were made to speak in English. Their English is very poor and how they gave their interviews was indeed hilarious. Also, the spoken English class of the immigration aspirants by Geetu Gulati (Boman Irani) has some comical punches. However, some boring moments in the screenplay could have been omitted. As a matter of fact, the entire second half seems stretchy and ultra-boring.

There are a lot of heart-touching moments as well as emotional songs in this drama but despite that, the love story of Hardy and Manu does not make an emotional impact. There is a major revelation at the climax about Hardy but that is highly predictable. As the story approaches its climax, the audience will already know what that revelation will be. So, the thrill at the end gets diminished.

The performances of the actors did not impress me. I was disappointed with how this story turned out. Shah Rukh Khan is aging and his chemistry with his much younger co-star, Taapsee Pannu could have been better. I was even more disappointed with Boman Irani’s acting and talking about Vicky Kaushal, he only had a special appearance in this movie. He could not leave an impact owing to his little screen time. The supporting cast was huge, and I could see many unknown faces in this film, whom I had never ever seen before.

The Verdict:

In short, Dunki may not be a big hit but you can consider watching this light-hearted drama about illegal immigration. This will make you aware of the difficulties illegal immigrants can face in a foreign country. The best part about this movie is that it has no toxicity, no harsh or hateful moments, and is just a pure family drama. You can choose to watch this if you want to relax and calm down after watching all the heated action movies that I have reviewed so far.

Talking about illegal immigration, do not get too inspired by this movie guys! It’s a criminal offense and can land one behind bars.

Shah Rukh Khan With Rajkumar Hirani In Dunki’s Promo!