Dunki movie review: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu star in Rajkumar Hirani’s film that is a warm and cosy gift for the whole family.
A 50-something Manu Randhawa (Taapsee Pannu) is homesick, and desperately wants to go back to India along with her two friends Buggu Lakhanpal (Vikram Kochhar) and Balli (Anil Grover), but they won’t get a visa from the British embassy. With no option left, she dials up Hardy aka Hardayal Singh Dhillon (Shah Rukh Khan) in Punjab, who she is sure can help her find a way.
As they embark on this journey back home, we are told how it all began in 1995 in Laltu, Punjab when this trio, along with Sukhi (Vicky Kaushal in a cameo) dreamt of settling in London for a better life. And a soldier names Hardy enters their life, pledging to help them realise their dream. Now, 25 years later, they are all reunited, once again, to fulfil another dream.
Laced with director Rajkumar Hirani’s signature style, Dunki rides high on emotions, with humour peppered in quantity that at times get too much to digest. Since the trailer made it clear that Dunki has SRK playing a young and an aged man, it’s no spoiler to know that the story mostly runs in flashback. We see how Manu met Hardy, how they got attracted to each other while taking the Donkey flight (illegal immigration) to reach London, and face several adversities on the way. Hirani, who returned to direction after five years since Sanju, makes sure that he engrosses us in his world full of love, heartbreaks, laughter, tears, hope, failure and topping it all with music that soothes the soul. Several portions in Dunki just rely purely on the lyrics or the background music for an impact, and it hits hard.
However, Dunki isn’t just a boy meets girl love story where he helps her realise her dreams. It makes for a compelling storytelling with a rather significant subject of illegal migrants from India who resort to dangerous routes to land in countries abroad, and often end up sacrificing their lives. You have to give it to Hirani for beautifully blending a pertinent issue of illegal migrants, with a love story at the core. I loved how Dunki resorts to a lighter tone to make a strong point about why the poor and non-English speaking Indians are not allowed visas in several countries. The sequences showing the actors undertaking an arduous task of crossing difficult locations and borders risking their lives, have some extremely heart-wrenching moments and a few that leave you with a lump in your throat.
The story co-written by Abhijat Joshi, Hirani and Kanika Dhillon, is flawless but the execution definitely demanded a lot more. Definitely not one of the best works from Hirani, yet Dunki effortlessly manages to keep you hooked. The slow-paced first half makes you wonder if you’d actually be able to sit through the entire film. But the 20 minutes before interval promise a better and more engaging second half.