'Dunki', in all probability, won't be a hit. Keeping aside the film's budget and the returns that it has to make at the ticket counters to be counted as a safe project for all parties involved, it won't earn the love of the public. Most of the audiences will walk into the theatres with high expectations, given Rajkumar Hirani is the director and Shah Rukh Khan is the hero. And most of them will return disappointed if early 'word of mouth' is anything to go by.
SRK hasn't had a wow streak with a lot of the in-form directors he has worked with over the last two decades. 'Dunki' is Hirani's first weak work. To think that Hirani delivered a poor film after making a slew of memorable films is shocking.
In 2018, SRK scored a flop with director Anand L Rai. 'Zero' didn't work for the audience. The 2017 rom-com 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' was directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film didn't have proper well-rounded content although Ali was in form before that movie. After 'Lagaan', director Ashutosh Gowariker made 'Swades' with SRK in 2004. It was a sensible movie but didn't satisfy the audience who had expected an event film like 'Lagaan'.
Others say that exceptions have been as many. 'Chennai Express' with Rohit Shetty, 'Jawan' with Atlee, and 'Pathaan' with Siddharth Anand worked commercially and also content-wise.
