Hardyal Singh Dhillon, or Hardy, played by Shah Rukh Khan, has only one dream in his life, at best two. He wants to win the affections of his IELTS classmate, Manu (Taapsee Pannu). And, with her and a bunch of other yokels, he wants to emigrate out of India.
That’s the basic premise of Rajkumar Hirani’s Punjab-set new comedy-drama, Dunki. As depicted in the trailer, the film highlights the arduous and danger-filled journey made by Indians to illegally enter countries like the UK and Canada. The first half of the trailer has a comic tone as Hardy and his friends struggle to learn English, a prerequisite for their immigrant dreams. Soon, however, they are en route, crossing desolate landscapes on foot and getting shot at by border patrols. “We left home out of necessity,” Hardy says near the end, now an old man narrating his epic tale, closing off with a ‘Jai Hind’.
Dunki also features Boman Irani, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover. Hirani, known for films like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and 3 Idiots, has penned the screenplay of Dunki with his longtime collaborator Abhijat Joshi along with Kanika Dhillon. It’s his first collaboration with Khan, who’s had a tremendous year with the twin blockbusters of Pathaan and Jawan.
Presented by Jio Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment and Rajkumar Hirani Films, Dunki is set to release in theatres on 21 December, 2023.
