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Dunki, featuring Shahrukh Khan, has been released in theatres globally, with mixed reviews starting to circulate. Information about the film is currently dominating the internet, with echo-chamber affiliations shaping your consumption of reviews. Is the film truly disappointing? Or are we simply witnessing a shift in cinematic styles? Many are voicing their opinions about the film, and now it's my turn to share my thoughts.
Films today are not just films; they serve as points of comparison. They are used to assess societal levels of political correctness and gauge the excitement they can generate. The choice of background score or the type of scene-setting that would enhance the 'cinematic' feel or stimulate a 'cinematic high' matters. However, it is unjust to compare films on these criteria, especially those directed by certain individuals in their unique styles. Each director has their own creative process, and that's what brings them success. On that note, I'm moving on to discuss Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki.
About Dunki
"Dunki is a narrative revolving around four friends from Punjab who dream to go to London, England for an improved life. When their attempts to get a visa are unsuccessful, they decide to take the 'Donkey route', an unlawful way to enter the country. Hardy, a soldier, is played by Shahrukh Khan, while Taapsee Pannu takes on the role of Manu. Unlike previous Hirani protagonists, Shahrukh Khan's character isn't the main anchor of the story.
Is this Hirani's finest work in writing? Truthfully, no. Crafting a storyline with multiple characters is always a challenging task, often resulting in a narrative that may feel disconnected and haphazard.
Nevertheless, the subject of immigration and the inherent classism is quite captivating. Some concerns arise in how these themes are explored. The classic Hirani style, characterized by sharp humour and adept direction, is on full display. However, the heavy reliance on gimmicky jokes and turning grave situations into light-hearted ones may detract from the narrative for viewers. That is also the case with the reviewers. At times, the drama seems contrived rather than flowing naturally. It seems that Hirani is somewhat burdened by his past accomplishments. Hence, the critics of films could provide a good opportunity for introspection for Hiranr-Abhijat (writing duo) and some experimentation with their style.
Without revealing too much, there are instances in the film that are incredibly powerful, humorous, and emotional. Certain scenes really draw you into the film. However, the movie seems somewhat unfinished, like it failed to deliver on its promises. While Shahrukh's sincerity adds value to the film, his celebrity status also tends to overshadow it. But does this make it a bad film? Not at all. In fact, it's a significant film for our times. The movie is more politically charged than much of what we usually see from Bollywood.
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Conclusion
Shahrukh Khan's most recent projects, Pathaan and Jawan, despite the great box office collection, weren't his best work. I personally believe that Anand L Rai's Zero and YRF's Fan were quite better films. Unfortunately, the audience didn't show enough support for Shahrukh in these endeavours. His experiments have frequently encountered criticism and are generally disregarded. An example of this is the special effects-rich superhero film, RaOne.
Currently, we're seeing action movies generating significant profit, and great box office numbers. Hyper-masculine heroes have become popular, or enjoyed by movie audiences. Hence, we might only catch glimpses of the romantic Shahrukh, during exaggerated action sequences, as that works on the box office.
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