2023 will always remain a memorable year for every Shah Rukh Khan fan. Pathan and Jawan, two of this year’s biggest blockbusters, showcased the star power of SRK. The nostalgia associated with his name and the reinvention of his patriotic persona breathed new life into his stardom. The two films released earlier this year fortified SRK’s position as a bonafide action star.
Dunki, however, brings back Shah Rukh Khan to you in his quintessential romantic avatar. A Rajkumar Hirani film is typically a rollercoaster of emotions. The quick switch between laughter and high-octane emotional drama has become the writer-director’s signature. Dunki is not an exception. Rajkumari Hirani is one of the most successful contemporary filmmakers of Bollywood, who has delivered films like Munnabhai M.B.B.S, 3 Idiots, P.K, and Sanju. Hirani returned to the director’s chair after a hiatus of five years. Dunki is not at all a bad film. But it is not his best.
There have been significant changes in the immigration laws of the UK recently. The new reforms treat the EU and non-EU citizens equally, where people with higher educational qualifications and skills during immigration have become the priority. Therefore, a conversation about illegal immigration or taking the Donkey flight to the UK becomes all the more important. After WWII, the labor shortage in England opened the doors for millions of Indians to immigrate to their country for a better life. But in recent years, a small purse and lack of formal education have made immigration difficult.
Thousands of illegal immigrants take the ‘Dunki’ route every year. Many of them die en route, but their remains are never discovered and returned to their family. The atrocities these aspiring immigrants face make you empathize with them — forcing you to wonder about the reason behind their definitive decision to abandon their homeland forever. Through his film, Rajkumar Hirani tries to highlight this humanitarian crisis.
The Slight Imbalance of Humor and Emotion
A middle-aged woman, probably in her fifties, runs away from a hospital in London and lands in an Immigration law firm. We learn her name is Manu Randhawa (played by Tapsee Pannu). Once an illegal immigrant in London, Manu is now a British citizen. However, she wants to return to India, but India declined her visa. She gathers her friends Balli (Anil Grover) and Buggu (Vikram Kocchar) and calls up Hardyl Singh Dhillon, a.k.a. Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan), to help them catch a Donkey flight ( illegally immigrate) to India.
We meet the characters at an old age. The moment when Hardy meets Manu after 25 years feels like deja vu. Hirani has recreated the moment from Veer Zara — I am sure everyone remembers the tears of joy Priety Zinta and SRK shed when they met after 25 years in that film. There are no brownie points in guessing that much of the film’s action occurs in flashback.Back in 1995, an Indian soldier named Hardy came to Laltu, a small village in Punjab – to pay a note of thanks to Manu’s brother, who had saved him after an accident. He met a bunch of misfits who believed that a visa for London was the end of the road for all their problems.
Manu, Hardy, Balli, and Buggu joined an IELTS coaching center managed by a Gulati (Boman Irani). It is here that they meet Sukhee (Vicky Kaushal). For Hardy, they become his family. However, they failed to crack the IELTS exam, and a tragedy struck their newly formed family. After trying all the legal ways of attaining a visa for London, they decided to take the ‘Dunki’ route to England. With tightly written scenes and jokes that land, the first half entertains thoroughly. In the second half, the film takes a serious turn. The emotional rollercoaster that grabbed the attention in the first half almost snapped in the second. The movie started to lean on high-octane melodrama. The emotions looked forced, and it gradually became difficult to digest.
Written by Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi, and Kanika Dhillon, the film bears the trademark of each of these writers. But the loose writing in the second half proves it’s not their best.
SRK’s Starpower
It is needless to say that Shah Rukh Khan is the star attraction of Dunki. Shah Rukh Khan, as Hardy, the patriot, is sincere and dutybound to his country. At the same time, as Manu’s ‘banda’ or lover, he is tender, caring, and soft-spoken. As a friend, he is loyal and devoted. His feelings and chemistry toward his co-actors keep shifting gears but never go missing. Tapsee Pannu loses herself in Manu. Her characterization reminded me of Rumi from Manmarziyan. She is the quintessential Punjabi girl of Bollywood. However, her chemistry with Hardy was mellow.
Anil Grover and Vikram Kocchar deliver the bit written for them. Their comic timings are impeccable. They are not intimidated by a larger-than-life star like Shah Rukh Khan. For this, the writing needs to be appreciated. But the best performance of the film is delivered by Vicky Kaushal. He stole the show with his cameo. While he spoke his lines, his expressions and body language evoked the memories of us watching him for the first time in Masaan.
Alas, the magic doesn’t happen:
Dunki is dreadfully disappointing. The simplistic storytelling trivializes the struggle the immigrants probably go through. The problems are easily solved and the complexities like the increase in the number of aspiring immigrants from Punjab region is never questioned. Dunki was one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Despite the talented names associated with the film, the execution feels half-hearted. It is neither very bad nor is it anything extraordinary. But it is definitely a family film.
If you were unable to watch Animal with your family in a theater, you should buy tickets for Dunki. It is a pleasant one time watch. The songs ‘Lut Put Gaya’ and ‘Banda’ will surely entertain you. But the rest of it orchestrated by Pritam, however, is forgettable. Dunki’s premise reminded me of a poem called ‘Naughty Boy’ by John Keats. The only difference is that the poem is way better than the film.
Dunki is playing at a theater near you.
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