On Shah Rukh Khan’s 58th birthday on Thursday, November 2, the teaser for his third film of the year after the blockbusters Pathaan and Jawan, Dunki, was unveiled. The eagerly-awaited Dunki teaser gave the best look yet the at film that marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. Dunki also features Taapsee Pannu in the lead role alongside Shah Rukh. Vicky Kaushal also features in the film.
Dunki is backed by Red Chillies Entertainment, Rajkumar Hirani Films and Jio Studios. Dunki will hit theatres in India on December 22. Dunki will clash with Prashant Neel’s Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire at the box office. The film stars Prabhas in the lead.
Last year, Shah Rukh Khan had spoken about the title of his upcoming film Dunki, and explained how it actually meant donkey. As he attended the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia in December 2022, Shah Rukh spoke about Dunki during an interview with Deadline.
The actor had said, “In English, my film would be called Donkey, it is Donkey. But the way a part of the country pronounces donkey in India, it is ‘dunki’. The Punjabis say it (donkey) like dunki… How much to tell you about the story… It is a film directed by one of the most brilliant filmmakers we have had in our country, Mr Raju Hirani. It is written by a very fantastic writer, Abhijat Joshi. It is a story of people, who want to come back home… when you finally get the calling.” The actor had further said about Dunki, “It is a comic film. His (Rajkumar Hirani) films are always a mix of comedy and a lot of emotions about the country. So, it is a big journey film, and the film goes through different areas around the world and finally comes back home to India.” Shah Rukh Khan has had the most successful year of his career in 2023. He started the year with Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan, also starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, and recently had the biggest hit of the year with Atlee’s Jawan, which also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Deepika. SRK’s films in 2023 have grossed over Rs 2100 crore worldwide and it remains to be seen if Dunki can match up to the success of Pathaan and Jawan. Rajkumar Hirani, who has made films like 3 Idiots, PK, and the Munna Bhai series, has never had a flop at the box office. The film marks his return to direction after 2018’s Sanju, which was also a blockbuster.