Movie Review: Dunki

Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan’s third and final entry at the box office this year has been released amongst huge expectations against the backdrop of back-to-back blockbusters like Pathaan and Jawan. Director Rajkumar Hirani’s reputation precedes him even though his last film did not amuse every section.

Let us delve into the details of what works and what doesn’t for this movie.

Story:

The story begins with an ageing Taapsee escaping from a hospital somewhere in London, in the current time. In a few moments, the film takes us into a flashback where Taapsee Pannu’s character Manu and her two friends, Vikram Kochhar’s Buggu and Anil Grover’s Balli, are living in rural Punjab, in the mid-90s. The three friends are seen trying their best to get a UK visa in order to get their families out of financial trouble.

Shah Rukh Khan (Hardy) is an army man. He meets Taapsee’s family to pay his tributes to her brother, who had previously saved his life. This meeting leads to Shah Rukh Khan deciding he should help Manu (Taapsee) and her friends get their visas to the UK.

In their desperate trials to crack the visa interview process, the four of them meet Sukhi (Vicky Kaushal) and start making combined efforts to reach their goal. After multiple failed attempts at using legal methods to reach the UK, the band of friends comes to the conclusion that the only way to fulfil their dreams is illegal immigration. ‘Dunki’ is a slang word for taking an illegal route to immigrate to a foreign country.

As Hardy (SRK), Manu (Taapsee) and 4 others set off in their border-crossing spree, they face a deadly altercation at one place in Afghanistan. Only the original 3 friends along with Hardy survive and reach England. Their travel is laced with utmost difficulties under inhumane conditions.

After they reach England, what lengths do they go to get citizenship in that country? How many of them stay, how many leave? What is the reality of illegal immigrants in a Western nation? What happens to the love story between SRK and Taapsee’s characters that began in the first half? All these questions are answered in a profound and hard-hitting way.

Screenplay and Analysis:

The first half of the movie entertains with some impeccable Rajkumar Hirani brand situational comedy laced with a budding love story between the two leads. Both the story progression and entertainment are exactly what the audience expects and comes to see in a Hirani film. SRK and Taapsee’s chemistry is adorable. Every actor does full justice to their role including Vicky Kaushal, who portrayed a pivotal role in the first half.

The second half of the movie pales in comparison when it comes to entertainment value and, in large parts, audience engagement as well. Though the writers do full justice to the character arc and ambitions of each character in the movie, the sum of all parts does not add up to create that magic the audience expects from a Raju Hirani film.

The movie’s single-minded focus on the social message it intends to deliver, over and above all other aspects, can come off as a little too much to digest for a regular moviegoer. Even SRK fans, after over-the-top, massy action blockbusters like Pathaan and Jawan, may have to lower their expectations before entering the theatre.

Acting:

Taapsee Pannu’s performance as Manu is the primary takeaway in the actors’ column, from Dunki. As the script had also given her the full license to stand as the main pillar of this movie, it would not be untrue to say she dominated SRK in several scenes.

Shah Rukh Khan eases into the role of Hardy with a subtle, romantic, emotional and power-packed performance and never drifts away from his character. Once again, SRK shined all the way through, this time as Hardy.

Direction:

Raju Hirani, who is adored as being amongst the most successful directors in the country along with SSR and Shankar, has taken a step back from his trademark style of ‘out and out entertainment with a sense of purpose’. In this movie, both Hirani and SRK seem to have gone all-in for hitting home the film’s message really hard. The directing did not have any notable complaints except for the lacklustre approach in keeping the audience engaged enough towards the end.

Technical Departments:

The songs composed by Pritam Chakraborty have already garnered acclaim before the release and have fit perfectly into the respective situations in the movie as well. Aman Pant’s background score elevates scenes aptly.

The cinematography by C.K. Muraleedharan, Manush Nandan and Amit Roy has served the story perfectly and, in typical Raju Hirani style, has stayed away from unnecessary flash.

Raju Hirani’s editing has moulded this into a crisp watch and there were no scenes/shots that did not contribute to the story.

The art department has created immersive experiences for both the flashback as well as current-day storylines.

Plus Points:

• Entertainment in First-half
• Taapsee’s performance
• SRK’s ease and emotions
• Taapsee-SRK chemistry
• Highly relevant message

Minus Points:

• Progression of Second-half
• Huge chunks of the characters’ lives are missing from the plot.
• An emotional conclusion, but the screenplay did not build towards it properly (in comparison to previous Raju Hirani films).

All in all, Raju Hirani’s filmography and SRK’s current form turn out to be the biggest enemies of this movie. However, the message delivered in the movie is of high relevance and is very commendable.

Bottom Line: A love story with a prominent message. One-time watch.