Huh. Maybe it’s not a time change thing? But it almost made more sense when it was! I can follow like 2/3rds of the plot of this thing, but then it loses me when SRK picks up a gun.
Trailer! I actually watched it right before I went to sleep last night and I was just so tired I couldn’t face getting out of bed to write a post. I have failed you as the DCIB community. Sorry! They need to stop dropping trailers when I am sleepy!
Okay, I sort of have the plot I think. SRK comes to town and joins an English class. Taapsee defends him as being a valuable person even if he is bad at English, so he falls in love with her. She also adopts him into her little group that is dedicated to emigrating. They give many speeches about how they deserve to follow their dreams, and then end up crossing a dangerous border in order to get to England. At some point, Taapsee agrees to marry a white man (presumably for a Visa) and Shahrukh shows up and punches him to stop the wedding. Also at some point Shahrukh grabs a gun to defend them and it is all dark and actiony.
I have two major concerns/questions after this trailer. First, how will they handle the tone shift of Shahrukh/the story? Cute silly village antics in English glass, fine. And then suddenly SRK is unshaven and holding a gun on people? What happened to the sweet innocent?
Second concern, why exactly are they going to want to go to England? Or out of the village in general? Is Hirani going to actually QUESTION the Indian economy/society/etc for once? Or is he going to come up with some ridiculous reason and avoid the reality of crushing economic issues, lack of healthcare, lack of education, etc. etc.?
dontcallitbollywood 
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I can figure out the plot but I’m not sure how it’ll work out. I think many of them die during the process and the whole thing is about the Dunki travelling system. I think the social message is what goes past me? As how will this be said in a way without offending either India or an NRI?
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From the tone of the trailer it seems that it would be not about the NRI but the racism and discrimination immigrants face and I think NRIs can relate to that (I can)
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Sorry for the late reply! I mean that the film’s last message on how we don’t leave home unless we’re forced. I’m curious how they will handle that without insulting Indians and sympathising with NRI. I am almost 100% sure I will like this more than Pathaan and Jawan so I’m excited.
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Return of the sweater vest!
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. . . and riding on top of a train!
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Also he is wrestling coach so I bet there’s a sports angle also
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Gun – how the sweet and innocent can become ferocious In a foreign land when their loved ones are under threat
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I think it’s unlikely he will question the broad problems in India… It’s going to be framed as – everyone wants to go, this is prestigious, so they want to go too… And later rounding up by saying how it’s better to be home. I hope this isn’t it though because I don’t like that story line
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More about the real life system the movie is based on apparently – https://www.ndtv.com/feature/dunki-the-real-donkey-flight-scam-used-to-smuggle-illegal-migrants-4537847/amp/1
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Thanks for the article. I wish I had a geographic map to go with their journey. Seeing the land and the guns and not knowing what border they are supposed to be crossing is driving me a bit bonkers. I don’t know why it is so important to me to know where they physically are.
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Just imagine they are in places where SRK can easily shoot 🥰😍
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I mean shoot films not guns
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Very interesting article.
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LOL this trailer reminded me about Namaste England, and it’s a bad thing I guess. But I want this movie to be a hit, because I’m tired that only Spy Universe movies make money.
IMO Dunki looks too small for SRK. I want him to make simple stories, but at the certain level, with good acting and good messages something like Drishyam, or what Mamootty is doing nowadays. And this movie looks like something Ayushmann Khuranna does and not Superstar ShahRukh. I can be wrong because I have never seen a Rajkumar Hirani’s movie in my life and I don’t know his style.
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I am excited to see SRK work with Taapsee. I can’t tell if they have chemistry from the trailer, but she is such a force on film. I love a Heroine that can stand up to his charisma.
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Who are other heroines you think can stand up to his charisma?
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Nayanthara did recently.
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There is a short book my family has listened to, North to Paradise by Ousman Umar, who as a tween immigrated alone from Ghana to Spain. It is gut wrenching, with a happy ending that isn’t really happy. So that is what I think of when I hear “immigration experience”. If it weren’t for SRK there is no way I would watch this movie! I hope the comic bits are good, at least it appears he is immigrating with friends.
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Maybe I’m misreading but it looks like Hirani is purposely playing with tone to me. Like what happens if you take the humble and oppressed figure of the emigrant/immigrant and cast him as a hero in his own story? What happens if you take the hero film tropes and apply them to a figure who shows up as a victim in news stories? It gives him a chance to show SRK doing cool movie stuff but not for reals, almost as a self parody with an earnest heart.
Also agree with Genevieve, I’m excited to see him onscreen with Taapsee, and the rest of the cast too.
Emily
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Ooooo! I like that interpretation.
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Ooh this is not giving me a good feeling. I don’t like when he tries to play a bumbling simpleton kind of character devoid of any cheekiness or edge (in other words, a Raju Hirani character), which is what the first part is. And that baritone just doesn’t go with it. I’ve no idea what’s happening after that, except that maybe Vicky dies? And if I’m hearing correctly, this is a period piece starting in 1955 and ending in 1980. Wonder why?
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If it’s 1955 to 1980, then my first guess that there’s a time jump seems correct! And telling the immigrant story in 1955 is really interesting, a very different era of immigration and of Indian history than the present, avoiding a lot of the topical questions.
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Trailer pretty much confirms it. Starts with him saying it’s 1955 and ends with him saying ’25 years later…’.
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uh small correction- he says 1995 not 1955
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Did you book your ticket for Dunki? Here of the two cinemas I like to go to – one cinema is booked out (I missed the good seats) but the other one hasn’t released shows yet
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Dunki Drop 5 out now.
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Gosh no. A preview of the drop? So confused – https://youtu.be/6jXTLO02Z88?si=K5q9J-k80abaeuxN
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Ok it’s out now
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