Rajkumar Hirani-directed Bollywood film 'Dunki', a comedy-drama set in 1995 and the present day, was released in theatres today. Going by the word on social media, the maker of classics like '3 Idiots' and 'Munnabhai MBBS' has delivered his first weak work. It would be wrong to call it his weakest work, for even a propagandist biopic like 'Sanju' had a heart-touching second hour involving a father-son duo. 'Dunki', coming with the premise of the journey of three individuals from Punjab to England, has a remarkably simplistic and occasionally manipulative second half.
In its review, Indian Express said that the Shah Rukh Khan-Taapsee Pannu film is a "crashing bore". "SRK's vaunted first collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani is mostly a crashing bore," wrote the critic in the newspaper.
India Today opined that Dunki’s second half is weak and lengthy. "The plot meanders and the humour falls flat. Dunki’s climax is also Hirani’s least enjoyable writing," the review observed.
Social media influencer Anmol Jamwal gave a mixed review, calling the film good but not great. He wrote, "The ensemble cast shines and the film highlights the plight of immigrants dreaming of a better tomorrow. The screenplay lets the film down, though. Bordering on silly on many occasions." A trade site named BOI said, "The film's pace is inconsistent, with an average first half and a slower second half. Hirani's direction is average, and the story doesn't reach its potential, sometimes bordering on silliness."
