Review of DUNKI: A Film with the Signature Style of Rajkumar Hirani, Delivering a Meaningful Message and Stirring Emotions
A different image of the same title, 'Dunki', is featured as a cover.
Dunki Review - A Rating of 3.5 out of 5 Stars
DUNKI is the tale of four young people striving to travel abroad in pursuit of a better life. The action is set in 1995. Army officer Hardayal Singh Dhillon (Shah Rukh Khan) travels to Laltu, Punjab to meet Mahendar, the individual who had saved his life. On reaching Mahendar's house, he finds out the latter has passed away in an accident after having lost a golden opportunity in sports while trying to help Hardy. Committed to aiding Mahendar's family, Hardy agrees to teach Mahendar's sister Manu (Taapsee Pannu) wrestling, as she is hoping to go to the United Kingdom to earn money and regain her father's house, which he had lost due to a loan default. Subsequently, the agent Manu had been dealing with swindles the four of them and flees. Desperate, they contact Geetu Gulati (Boman Irani), who runs an English-speaking institute and promises to help them pass their IELTS exam. Here, they also become acquainted with Sukhi (Vicky Kaushal), and the five of them become friends. They then set out to reach the UK by any means necessary. What happens next forms the remainder of the film.
An image of a character named Dunki is featured in the picture, as seen below.
The story of Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani, and Kanika Dhilon is outstanding and relatable for those from the South Asian diaspora, as many of them have experienced difficulties with immigration. The screenplay, written by these three, is a combination of different elements, with some moments being hilarious and some being emotional; however, given Abhijat and Rajkumar's previous works, it could have been a lot better. The dialogue, penned by these three, contains some witticisms but, it could have been more impactful if it lived up to the expectations of their past works.
Rajkumar Hirani's directing style is known to be simple, and once again, his trademark laugh-cry-drama formula works efficiently in this film. Therefore, the audience never has to face a boring or slow-paced part. It begins in the present and the way the characters' relationships are described, the viewers can't help but be curious of what has happened before. This is reminiscent of the start of his movie 3 Idiots [2009]. Furthermore, the scenes of Hardy and his companions attempting to learn English and their interviews for visas are quite interesting. The intermission point is quite intense. In the second half, the scenes of Hardy in the UK court and the Saudi Arabia sequences are the highlights of the movie. The ending is emotive and the facts mentioned are extremely sad. Fortunately, the final scene is humorous and the film concludes on a cheerful note.
The writing in the movie did not meet expectations; the makers neglected to emphasize the hardships faced by families that had moved to the UK. Also, the comedic scenes in the first half were not as hilarious as one would expect from a Rajkumar Hirani film. As a result, DUNKI does not measure up to MUNNA BHAI, 3 IDIOTS, PK, etc., and thus, viewers may be discouraged despite the movie's advantageous features.
The 6th Installment of Dunki: Featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, and Starring Taapsee Pannu
As far as Shah Rukh Khan's performance goes, he does a splendid job in bringing forth the humour and emotions. However, his portrayal of an elderly man is not quite convincing. It's commendable to see him take on a character role after seeing him in more conventional roles in PATHAAN and DUNKI. Taapsee Pannu does an outstanding job and nails the nuances of the elderly scenes. Vicky Kaushal is fabulous in his cameo. Anil Grover and Vikram Kochhar are excellent in their support roles. Boman Irani and Deven Bhojani (Puru Patel) are delightful. The other cast members do a good job as well.
The music of Pritam is not the kind that would be expected to reach the charts, but the songs are expertly woven into the narrative. 'Lutt Putt Gaya' is pleasing and 'Main Tera Rasta Dekhunga' is a standout. Moreover, 'Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se', 'O Maahi' and 'Banda' are all in harmony with the movie's topic. Aman Pant has crafted a background score which is fitting.
The cinematography of Muraleedharan C K, Manush Nandan and Amit Roy is stunning and has the look of a big-screen feature. Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray have created an authentic production design. The action choreography from Sham Kaushal is minimal. The costumes of Eka Lakhani are believable and not over-the-top. Rajkumar Hirani's editing is sharp.
When all is said and done, DUNKI carries the mark of Rajkumar Hirani's filmmaking with the necessary emotions and message. But it is not as remarkable as his other movies due to its writing. In conclusion, it will yield a mixed response at the box office.
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