The wait is finally over, as Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ was released in cinema halls earlier today, December 21. The Rajkumar Hirani film has received mixed reviews from critics even though fans seemed to have enjoyed the emotional drama. Also starring Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Boman Irani and Anil Grover, among others, ‘Dunki’ is said to have brought the perfect end to SRK’s purple year. As per industry tracker Sacnilk, the film opened to Rs 30 crore, a figure justified given it was released in just one language. ‘Pathaan’ on the other hand opened to Rs 57 crore, while ‘Jawan’ raked in a massive Rs 75 crore.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala told IndiaToday.in that the final figures of ‘Dunki’ Day 1 could be anywhere around Rs 30-35 crore. He also added that given it has the advantage of a five-day weekend (including Christmas on Monday), the film could close at Rs 150 crore after the first weekend.
Talking about the film, he shared, “As a movie, it stood up to everyone’s expectations. It has Rajkumar Hirani’s brand of humour, added to a heartwarming performance by SRK as the lead. Most reviews are positive and it looks like Dunki will do decently well. It’s a feel-good genre unlike his last releases ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’ but it definitely will find its audience.”
Echoing his thoughts, Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst shared that given the genre, ‘Dunki’ will benefit from the positive word of mouth. He added that this is probably why the makers were confident to release it in the middle of the week. “The film has emerged as a success and looks like it’s a hattrick for Shah Rukh Khan. The first two were blockbusters and hopes are high with ‘Dunki’ too,” he added.
Despite the positive reviews, many missed the action-star SRK they got used to, thanks to his two earlier films. A section of the fans feel that he should stick to the action genre as that’s what gets him big numbers. However, Bala shared that as an actor, one has to delve into different genres.
Sharing a word of advice for the ‘Badshah’, he said, “Fans, of course, want to see him in a thrill and drama zone. Action worked great for him but a film like Dunki also has a fanbase. SRK should strike a balance as action films would give him numbers and romance and family dramas will keep audiences happy.”
Girish Johar added that although ‘Dunki’ is not a commercial film, it has done well in multiplex and tier-1 cities. He added that Rajkumar Hirani is also making a comeback after ‘Sanju’ (2018), making it a ‘deadly combination’. Bala also added that while there is criticism around the film’s length, and there might be a section that may ‘not be completely satisfied’ with the film, it is going to be a ‘good run for SRK and ‘Dunki’. He added, “Tomorrow ‘Salaar’ releases, which is a mass actioner. It would be interesting now to see how the two films work out.”
Have you watched ‘Dunki’ yet?