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‘Dunki’ takes a heartfelt but bumpy road with illegal migrants

A poster of William Shakespeare looms large in a small classroom in a fictional town in Punjab, where a pretentious English language coach is helping a group of hopefuls to be comfortable in the Queen’s lingo. Despite the teacher’s efforts, the students face difficulties with grammar and tenses, creating confusion in their use of vocabulary.
PHOTOS: COLLECTED
SHABABA IQBAL
“What difference does a language make? Communication of feelings is important,” reasons a student as he struggles to string together a sentence in English. “Words are necessary to communicate, and language is about words,” explains the teacher. Shakespeare would have approved.
It is a small touch but a deep take on the role of words, language, and conversation in our lives. This theme takes on added importance as it intricately guides the characters of Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki toward their destinies, notably exemplified by their pursuit of a visa to England.
The film has small moments that make big statements, aligning with Hirani’s style of giving life lessons through simple gestures and throwaway dialogues. But alas, in Dunki , those are few and far between. The story, about a group of desperate migrants, is uneven and simplistic, failing to take off in a way it could have.
Dunki is about the shocking ways in which people try to illegally migrate to the UK or any other developed Western country. Called the ‘donkey route’, it involves unscrupulous agents, tough border controls, corrupt officials, and lots of money. But rather than delving deeply into the mindset of ‘dunkers’ and the circumstances forcing them to undertake such risky trips, examining the legal, ethical, and moral stances of nations in accepting or rejecting migrants, the film opts for a straightforward, albeit heartfelt, depiction of a serious issue.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Hardy Dhillon takes it upon himself to help his four friends, portrayed by Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Anil Grover, and Vikram Kochhar, reach London. Despite individual motivations to leave Punjab, the characters face a shared challenge of visa rejections, primarily attributed to language barriers.
The film is only interested in illegal immigration and the refugee crisis to the extent that it allows Hirani and Khan to grandstand. Scenes like Hardy’s refusal to denounce his country for asylum exploit human suffering for a cheap moment of self-congratulation, ultimately undermining the film’s purported social commentary. The hesitation to dig deeper into the root causes of migration robs the story of its honesty.
That being said, there are several factors that work in the film. “Dunki” is dunked with love and longing. Hardy is a vulnerable, emotional man full of passion who’s in no hurry to prove his masculinity by exerting power over the woman. Khan warms your heart with his performance despite the awkward Punjabi accent and de-ageing.
It is unexpectedly charming to see Pannu mould herself into the role of a woman who is so in love and yet maintains her individuality. Vicky Kaushal shines in an important cameo.
While “Dunki” is a worthwhile watch, the level of talent involved suggests it had the potential to be outstanding. In a world grappling with strife, the film conveys a crucial message of kindness and empathy. However, regrettably, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the intention.