“Dunki” is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani, known for his collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. Co-written by Hirani, Abhijat Joshi, and Kanika Dhillon, the film is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Jio Studios, featuring a star-studded cast including Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, and Boman Irani.
Rumors about “Dunki” surfaced in late 2020, and the screenplay was completed in August 2021, with principal photography starting a month later and concluding in April 2023. Filming locations spanned Mumbai, Kashmir, London, Budapest, Jeddah, and Neom. The film’s soundtrack is composed by Pritam, with Rajkumar Hirani handling editing and C K Muraleedharan serving as the cinematographer.
The premise of “Dunki” revolves around the concept of “Donkey Flight,” an illegal entry technique used by Indians to enter countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The narrative follows the lives of individuals who opt for this unlawful process and their struggles to return home.
The cast includes Shah Rukh Khan as Hardy, Taapsee Pannu as Manu, Vicky Kaushal as Sukhi, Boman Irani as Gulati, Vikram Kochhar as Buggu Lakhanpal, Anil Grover as Balli, along with Dharmendra, Satish Shah, Parikshit Sahni, and Jyoti Subhash in supporting roles.
The film’s development began with rumors in 2020, and it was officially announced in April 2022. The screenplay was co-written by Hirani, Joshi, and Dhillon. Cinematographer C. K. Muraleedharan replaced Amit Roy due to creative differences.
Casting was overseen by Mukesh Chhabra, with Taapsee Pannu joining the project as the female lead in January 2021. Vicky Kaushal, Boman Irani, Dia Mirza, and Satish Shah joined the cast in October 2022.
Filming commenced in September 2021, with sequences shot in Mumbai, Budapest, London, Saudi Arabia, Jabalpur, and Kashmir. Noteworthy scenes include an underwater sequence featuring Shah Rukh Khan and a bike sequence filmed in Mumbai. The film is set to be theatrically released on 21 December 2023 in overseas territories and a day later in India.
Distribution will be handled by Pen Marudhar Entertainment, with Yash Raj Films distributing the film in overseas markets, including North America and the United Kingdom. International non-theatrical distribution rights were sold for ₹230 crores, while JioCinema acquired domestic non-theatrical streaming rights for ₹155 crores. Despite rumors of a 2024 release, Shah Rukh Khan denied them during a press conference for another project, “Jawan” (2023).