Despite the tremendous performance of Shah Rukh Khan and Vicky Kaushal, why is Rajkumar Hirani's magic missing from Dunki?
Why Does Rajkumar Hirani's Magic Disappear In SRK's Dunki: Director Rajkumar Hirani's latest release Donkey is not as memorable as 3 Idiots or Munnabhai. In the review of film expert Rajkumar Hirani of 'Dinky', the weakest aspect of this film is its plot. This is a film from a director whose masterful storytelling makes us believe in even the most far-fetched scenarios and root for his characters. Despite stellar performances from Vicky Kaushal and Shah Rukh Khan, Hirani's story fails to leave a lasting impact.
The characters don't stay with you long after the movie is over. Hirani occasionally recovers to shine in certain scenes, but you keep yearning for that powerful moment. It's only in the last half hour of this 160-minute film that you can really feel yourself getting emotional. Hirani's editing could have cut down at least 30 minutes, which would have made the film more impactful. The script written by Hirani, Abhijat Joshi and Kanika Dhillon lacks the depth that the subject of illegal immigration demands. Given Punjab's history of legal and illegal migration, driven by various factors ranging from economic opportunities to drug and extremism issues, Dunki is extremely simplistic.
At a time when OTT platforms are bringing more powerful, nuanced narratives, this film feels dated, like the lives of its characters are living in the past. Hirani's magic is missing, emotion is the secret element of Hirani's films but it is dull in Dinky. The desperation of people moving to a different country is lost in a meandering script that takes too long to get to the point with too much backstory. In fact, so much time has been spent on the backstory that it now feels disjointed. The story is told in flashbacks, focusing on three friends Manu (Taapsee Pannu), Buggu (Vikram Kochhar) and Balli (Anil Grover) from the fictional town of Laltu in Punjab. His aspirations of a bright future, earning pounds in London, are connected with the arrival of Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan).
Aimed at portraying the struggles and dreams of people searching for a better life, Hirani's signature blend of laughter, tears and drama remains strangely tenacious despite the many pitfalls in the film. This is probably the first time one feels interrupted by comedy in moments of genuine sadness, which is a typical Hirani move. When a fraudulent immigration agent robs Buggu of his mother's entire life savings, the outcome is resolved into comedy that feels tragic. This is not the kind of commentary we saw in 3 Idiots (2009) about poverty and the education system at Raju's house and his subsequent suicide attempt.
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Read on Leharen – Despite the tremendous performance of Shah Rukh Khan and Vicky Kaushal, why is the magic of Rajkumar Hirani missing from Dunki?
