Dunki Movie 2023: Year 2023 began with Shah Khan making a remarkable comeback. Middle of the year, he also delivered Javan, another action thriller. The year will also end with SRK in a movie called Dunki. Now teaming up with filmmaker Raj Kumar Hirani for the first time, Khan steps away from his action macho Avatar on screen in Dunki and tells a human story of illegal immigrants. Hirani has for years made films based on humanistic tales and question the said norms in his own ways. Do Hirani and S. R. K. Create an impact? With their latest offering? Let’s find out.
Dunki Movie Story
Thebut in 1995, Dunki is based in the fictitious town of Latu in the North Indian state of Punjab. Shahrukh khan plays Hardy, who meets Manu, played by Tapsy Panu, and her two friends who are desperate to go to London in search of a better life. Getting a visa is not as easy as it seems, and with the lack of money, awareness, and qualification, they try other routes to reach their dream city. They first approach an agent who dupes them. Then on Hardi’s insistence, they start studying English to acquire a student visa to the UK.
There, they encounter Sidhu, played by Vicky Koshal, an equally desperate man, wanting to go to London just for a day. When the usual route fails, the group decide to go through illegal routes moves. First to Pakistan, then Afghanistan to Iran, and subsequently to the UK by the ship stuck in a container. Even though the film features Shahrukh khan, his superstardom does not overpower and loom large over other characters. The cast comprising of Tapsy Panu, Shahrukh khan, Anil Grover and Vicky Koshal, play to their parts well. The story is not just about Khan, which is a good thing.
Vicky Koshal Performance
Vicky Koshal leaves a definite impact. As a man desperate to cross borders and go to London for an urgent work, Koshal is able to draw in the laughs and make viewers emotional with his stellar act. The film is far more engaging in the second half, when the focus shifts to London and the difficult journey the characters embark on for a better life.
At a time when action films and Alpha males are being loved in cinema, Hirani’s mild film on immigrants does not resonate much with the audience. The screenplay also lacks the spark that an emotional story like this means. If you were a fan of Raj Kumar Hirani’s previous work, this film will not leave a similar impact. It does take up a grave issue, but the story is not well fleshed out.
Dunki Movie 2023 Review:
Hirani is known for masterfully creating a world that simplifies grave issues, puts a smile on the viewer’s face, and effectively drives home a point. Unfortunately, Dunki leaves a middling impact on the viewer. Show Hirani’s classic comedy is visible in the first half of the film. There are some genuinely funny moments in the first half an hour of the film, actually.
But as the focus shifts to the great journey on the other side in the second half, the mood and the narrative become somber. Like his previous outings, Khan does make sure he delivers a message or two about his stand on patriotism through the narrative. For me, SRK shines the most in a court scene where he declares that he will not leave his country and speak ill about it. Dunki has its heart at the right place and tries to convey an important message wrapped in Hirani’s quintessential style of entertainment. But it is also not the filmmaker’s best work.