Dunki movie review and release updates: Mumbai theatre owner says 'they' aren't allowing him to open bookings for Prabhas starrer Salaar
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  • Dunki movie review and release updates: Mumbai theatre owner says 'they' aren't allowing him to open bookings for Prabhas starrer Salaar
THE TIMES OF INDIA | Dec 22, 2023, 09:54:31 IST
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Dunki movie review and release updates: Mumbai theatre owner says 'they' aren't allowing him to open bookings for Prabhas starrer Salaar

Shah Rukh Khan returns to the screen for his third outing of the year 'Dunki' and this time he has the maestro Rajkumar Hirani at the helm of things. King Khan has had a dream year starting with 'Pathaan' hitting the Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office and continuing its upward graph with 'Jawan' also shooting past the mark. With 'Dunki', SRK will hope to culminate 2023 on a high with another box office record. The movie co-stars Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal in lead roles, and is the story of Indians illegally crossing the borders to travel overseas, known in the country as the 'donkey' method. A far cry from his last two endeavors, 'Dunki' is a heartwarming tale of a Punjabi boy and his friends who chase their dreams for a brighter future abroad, but always yearn to return to their home country. This is the first time Shah Rukh has teamed up with Hirani. The duo came close to working together multiple times in the past, but things didn't work out. The movie's advance booking, as expected, has taken a flying start despite it being released on a working day, that is Thursday. According to reports, this was a deliberate decision for two reasons - one was to avoid the initial clash with Prabhas' 'Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire', which releases tomorrow. The other is that makers are hopeful that word of mouth will spread for the movie, culminating in packed houses over the upcoming Christmas weekend. Early box office reports indicate that the movie will be eyeing a Rs 30 crore debut. Whether it is movie review, audience reaction, box office collections and general buzz on 'Dunki', ETimes has it all covered. Watch this space for all the updates...
23:03 (IST) Dec 21
Dunki Vs Salaar day 1 collection early estimates
The ugly box office clash between Dunki and Salaar has been intensified due to the ongoing issue over the number of shows and booking tickets at multiplex chains. While PVR-INOX has denied unfair theatre practices towards Prabhas starrer in favour of Shah Rukh Khan's film, Salaar has outperformed Dunki in advance booking sales for its opening day.
22:36 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki Vs Prabhas starrer Salaar
Mumbai theatre owner alleges foul play, says 'they' aren't allowing him to open bookings for Prabhas starrer Salaar
22:06 (IST) Dec 21

Shah Rukh Khan radiates a casual charisma that transcends any celebrity air

Dunki background score expert Aman Pant

21:30 (IST) Dec 21
Trade expert's view on Dunki
Trade experts believe that the makers of Dunki have purposely released the film on a non-holiday Thursday so that the box office numbers and footfalls grow over the Christmas weekend through positive word of mouth.
20:43 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dunki' gets a special 5:55 AM screening in Mumbai; a fan reveals the number connection
Shah Rukh Khan's film 'Dunki' had a special 5:55 AM screening at Mumbai's Gaiety Galaxy Theatre, continuing a tradition that began with the release of 'Pathaan'. The unique early morning showtime was chosen due to SRK's lucky number, 555, which is also the number on his car. A grateful fan expressed thanks to Gaiety Galaxy for accommodating this distinctive timing and anticipated a full house for 'Dunki,' similar to the response seen for 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan.' Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, 'Dunki' marks SRK's first collaboration with the acclaimed filmmaker and also features Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu in prominent roles.
19:58 (IST) Dec 21
'Dunki' box office collection day 1 early estimates
The Shah Rukh Khan starrer had an occupancy of 26 percent on opening day. As per early estimates, 'Dunki' is expected to do a business of Rs 30 crore on its opening day (in all languages) as per Sacnilk.com.
19:26 (IST) Dec 21
Dunki fun BTS incident
During the shoot, Vicky had to endure an on-screen beating orchestrated by his father's 'goons,' as part of the film's storyline. This marked a departure for Hirani, as his previous films rarely included intense fight scenes. Interestingly, he reached out to Vicky's father, Sham Kaushal, a seasoned action director, to choreograph the sequence. Hirani explained the scene to Sham Kaushal, he brought some menacing fighters on the sets. Fight scenes were to be shot for Vicky Kaushal’s character. In which Vicky had to be beaten. Rajkumar Hirani confimed that Shyam Kaushal himself directed these scenes and the shooting started. Vicky Kaushal was beaten fiercely by his father’s bouncers in front of him. However, all the scenes were shot well..
18:37 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu's romantic journey
Taapsee Pannu will be seen sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in 'Dunki'. Taapsee portrays the character of Manu, SRK's love interest and glimpses of their on-screen chemistry have been evident in the trailer and romantic songs.
17:52 (IST) Dec 21
Here's some latest update and some good news for cinegoers! The Salaar-Dunki rift has finally been resolved and 'Salaar' is now set to release in equal number of screens in the north and will have 70 percent screens in the south. A source says, "We have opened national chains after agreed for equal sharing in north and 70% sharing in south.With this news in, many exhibitors are now breathing a sigh of relief. When ETimes spoke to Manoj Desai, Executive Director, Gaiety Galaxy and Maratha Mandir Cinema on Wednesday, he was not happy with the way things were going. He had said, "Friday the film is releasing and we're still hanging with no advance bookings open or no certainty of anything."
17:14 (IST) Dec 21
Trade experts weigh in on Dunki's future
Despite the slow pre-sales, trade experts are confident that the Bollywood film will end the year with a bang, considering that it will enjoy an extended Christmas holiday weekend and also has potential to grow over the New Year's weekend.This film is also crucial for Khan, as he stands on the brink of achieving a hat trick at the box office. With 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan' already shooting past the Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office, all eyes are now on 'Dunki' to see if it could potentially be the third consecutive success for the superstar. Notably, SRK currently holds the title as the only actor in the Indian film industry with double entries on the list of Rs 1000 crore films. Interestingly, he managed to achieve this feat in a single year.
16:53 (IST) Dec 21
Fan live-streams Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ on X hours after the film’s release, gets 137,000 views
16:32 (IST) Dec 21
After getting the audience's adrenaline pumping with some high-octane action scenes in his prior releases, SRK will touch upon matters of the heart with a moving story of four friends embarking on a life-altering quest to reach foreign shores, striving to turn their dreams into reality. Drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, 'Dunki' promises to be a poignant saga, interweaving both humour and heartbreak in this human story.
15:54 (IST) Dec 21
Shaan on why his song was dropped from Dunki
On December 21, singer Shaan took to his X (formerly Twitter) and wrote a long note expressing his thoughts about watching Rajkumar Hirani’s 'Dunki' and the reason behind his track 'Durr Kahi Durr' being dropped.The singer wrote, "Good morning!!! Aaj #Dunki Day hai... I'm super excited!! I can't wait to see it!! I’m sure everyone is going to love the movie!!! I just want to clear the air about why my song was not part of the film. The song, a beautiful breezy duet (with @shreyaghoshal), “Durr kahi Durr,” was recorded and also picturized in Kashmir, but on the edit table, it was #RajuHirani's call to drop the song (after a lot of contemplation). He was very transparent about it with me, and I really appreciate that. I fully understand that the film is a top priority. Hopefully, you will get to hear the song in his future project, but not in #Dunki.".
15:23 (IST) Dec 21
Sameer Wankhede on SRK
Shah Rukh Khan received immense love and appreciation for his last film, 'Jawan'. While the movie gained popularity, some viewers noted that a particular dialogue delivered by his character Vikram Rathore, stating "Bete ko haath lagane se pehle..." seemed to indirectly reference the Aryan Khan case. Aryan, SRK's son, had faced allegations of drug possession but was ultimately acquitted of all charges. Responding to this dialogue, Sameer Wankhede, the investigating officer in Aryan's case, described it as 'roadside'.
15:04 (IST) Dec 21
Netizens laud Shah Rukh's performance and Rajkumar Hirani's direction in Dunki
One enthusiastic fan awarded '#Dunki' a stellar 4/5 rating, praising the film's engaging first half and its strong connection with audiences in the second half, declaring it a perfect Christmas treat for families. They predicted a monumental success for Shah Rukh Khan and hailed it as a career-defining moment in Hirani's directorial journey.
15:03 (IST) Dec 21
‘Dunki’ Twitter review: SRK's stellar performance and Hirani's direction lauded by netizens
14:57 (IST) Dec 21
'Dunki' release: Shah Rukh Khan's duplicate cuts cake with the actor's fans outside Mumbai theatre
14:44 (IST) Dec 21
'Salaar' advance booking: Prabhas' film collects Rs 30 crore; exceeds Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dunki'
13:56 (IST) Dec 21
#BoycottPVRINOX trends on social media amidst the 'Salaar' and 'Dunki' releases
The two big films 'Salaar' and 'Dunki' are all set for release in theaters. While both movies have their own buzz on social media and clash at the box office with just one day difference, a dispute has arisen due to screen allocations. The major theater chain management in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have allotted more screens for Shah Rukh Khan's 'Dunki' rather than Prabhas's 'Salaar', which has disappointed the fans, making them choose single-screen exhibitors or small private theaters, who in turn have completely opted out of 'Dunki' screening.
12:53 (IST) Dec 21
Here's how the audience has reacted to SRK starrer Dunki
11:55 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Dunki' has hit the screens today and it was the first time ever that the star's movie at a 5 55 am show at Gaiety Galaxy. Fans had a screening and videos of them dancing on 'Lutt Putt Gaya' have gone viral on the internet. It does seem like festival in cinemas as fans cannot stop enjoying the movie and dance along with it. The atmosphere outside Gaiety early morning was hard to miss with cut-outs of SRK.
11:46 (IST) Dec 21
A soldier, Hardayal Singh Dhillon (Shah Rukh Khan) takes on an arduous and audacious mission, that of helping a group of friends realise their dream of going to England. It seems like an impossible task because neither do they have a visa or nor can they can afford a ticket. And It is the start of a journey that promises to change all their lives forever.
11:36 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan gets mobbed in London during 'Dunki' shoot, video goes viral
11:22 (IST) Dec 21
Crucial for Khan
This film is also crucial for Khan, as he stands on the brink of achieving a hat trick at the box office. With 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan' already shooting past the Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office, all eyes are now on 'Dunki' to see if it could potentially be the third consecutive success for the superstar. Notably, SRK currently holds the title as the only actor in the Indian film industry with double entries on the list of Rs 1000 crore films. Interestingly, he managed to achieve this feat in a single year.
11:01 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's latest movie 'Dunki' may have leaked online as a viral post claims it was live streamed. A Twitter user named 'Dunki Premier' streamed 50 minutes of the movie from a cinema hall, gaining over 150,000 views within an hour. The leaked clip has now been taken down. Speculations suggest that bitter fan-wars between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan fans may be the reason behind the leak.
10:42 (IST) Dec 21
Not run of the mill
In a departure from the traditional approach, the makers of the film chose to keep the audience on their toes guessing about the film's plot while forgoing a conventional trailer launch. Instead, they unveiled a series of clips titled 'Dunki: Drop,' offering glimpses into the Hirani directorial that set the tone for the adventure that's waiting to unfold.U/A certificateAhead of its release, the film received a 'U/A' certificate, making it accessible to a wide audience. Billed to be a film for the entire family, 'Dunki' promises an immersive and engaging cinematic experience with a runtime of 161 minutes.
10:41 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu's romantic journey
Taapsee Pannu will be seen sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in 'Dunki'. Taapsee portrays the character of Manu, SRK's love interest and glimpses of their on-screen chemistry have been evident in the trailer and romantic songs.
10:41 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan’s first collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani
'Dunki' marks his first collaboration of ace filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani with superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Fans are eagerly awaiting to witness the magic that this dynamic duo will bring to the screen. According to reports, SRK had turned down roles in Hirani’s previous films like 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' (2003) and '3 Idiots' (2009).
10:40 (IST) Dec 21
'Dunki Plot'
The story of the film revolves around a group of friends from a Punjab village who share a common dream of moving to England. The catch? None of them has a visa or a ticket. Hardy, played by SRK, promises to fulfill their dream through an unconventional method – the “Donkey Flight,” an illegal backdoor entry strategy to countries like the UK, Canada, and the USA.
10:25 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's ardent fans groove to Dunki's peppy track 'Lutt Putt Gaya' on a dummy plane - Watch VIRAL video
09:52 (IST) Dec 21
Vicky Kaushal is receiving widespread acclaim for his performance in "Dunki," with Twitter reviews highlighting him as the scene-stealer. Amid a successful year, including hits like "Zara Hatke Zara Bachke" and "Sam Bahadur," Kaushal's portrayal in "Dunki" is earning praise despite initially being a small role. Fans laud his impactful contribution to the film.
09:27 (IST) Dec 21
Dunki vs Salaar: PVR's Kamal Gianchandani CRUSHES allegations of 'unfair practices' favouring Shah Rukh Khan over Prabhas; says 'Please put these ridiculous theories to bed'
Gianchandani said in a note, "Normally, we try to keep Producers related matters to ourselves. But this is one of those times for us to share our point of view." Touching upon the allegations against the theatre chain, he said, "We have come across some absurd internet posts regarding unfair showcasing practices at PVRINOX. No one has greater respect and appreciation for all the Producers releasing their films in our theatres than all of us at PVRINOX. Commercial disagreements are part of the course with big films releasing on the same date.Not the first time. Won’t be the last time. Everything will fall in place soon. Please put these ridiculous theories to bed."
09:24 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's new film 'Dunki' releases today with a special screening attended by Bollywood celebrities. Hrithik Roshan also showed support. Vicky Kaushal arrived solo, and his family attended to support him. The film, supported by Rajkumar Hirani, is set in Punjab and follows friends trying to illegally cross borders for a better life. Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal also star in the lead roles in the film. It hits the theatres today, on December 21.
09:19 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan gets amused by fans' antics outside theatres; says 'Go in see Dunki and tell me if u all enjoyed it'
09:17 (IST) Dec 21
Salaar poised to have a bigger opening that Dunki
The battle of box office supremacy has reached its final stage between two mammoth projects, Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki and Prashanth Neel and Prabhas’s Salaar: Part 1- Ceasefire. Both films are releasing a day apart but the second day onwards till the end of the Christmas season, both would be trying to attract the maximum number of audiences to their films.
08:54 (IST) Dec 21
Dunki could open between $800k to $1 million in North America
Shah Rukh Khan's "Dunki" is anticipated to make a strong opening in North America, with around $800k to $1 million expected on the first day. In the USA alone, it has sold 30,000 tickets from 577 locations, accumulating $410,553. The film's growing buzz suggests potential for a successful debut in the North American market.
08:39 (IST) Dec 21
Dunki box office collection Day 1 early estimates: Shah Rukh Khan starrer eyeing Rs 30 crore debut
According to trade reports, the film's advance bookings were around the Rs 12 crore range on Wednesday. However, as the film hit theatres today, reports on Sacnilk.com state that Dunki is projected to earn an estimated Rs 30 crore nett in India on its first day for all languages.
08:36 (IST) Dec 21
'Dunki' first screenings: Shah Rukh Khan fans burst crackers outside cinema halls as they celebrate the film's release
08:35 (IST) Dec 21
As his latest release Dunki hits theatres today, let's delve into five instances where Shah Rukh Khan portrayed characters who, while not necessarily soldiers, embodied a unique and individual form of patriotism....
08:15 (IST) Dec 21
Many social media users have termed Dunki as a masterpiece while some have expressed their disappointment calling it the weakest work from Hirani.
08:07 (IST) Dec 21
Right from its quirky concept to the performances of the actors, we give you a rundown of reasons as to why you shouldn’t miss watching the film.
08:03 (IST) Dec 21
Shah Rukh Khan's new film 'Dunki' releases today with a special screening attended by Bollywood celebrities. Hrithik Roshan also showed support. Vicky Kaushal arrived solo, and his family attended to support him. The film, supported by Rajkumar Hirani, is set in Punjab and follows friends trying to illegally cross borders for a better life. Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal also star in the lead roles in the film. It hits the theatres today, on December 21.
07:52 (IST) Dec 21
Over the last few decades, the Hindi Film Industry has witnessed clashes at the box office and some of them have turned massive.
07:49 (IST) Dec 21
Rajkumar Hirani's highly-anticipated film 'Dunki,' starring Shah Rukh Khan, releases today. The film explores friendship, aspirations, and a life-altering quest. Unlike a conventional trailer launch, the film was promoted with a series of clips titled 'Dunki: Drop.' Early box office predictions indicate a good opening, despite competition from other releases. Trade experts are confident that 'Dunki' will end the year with a bang, potentially making it Shah Rukh Khan's third consecutive Rs 1000 crore film.
07:48 (IST) Dec 21
A day ahead of the film's release, SRK's wife Gauri Khan was spotted by paps in Mumbai. She briefly interacted with the shutterbugs and cheered for SRK's film. While clicking Gauri's pictures, one of the paps said, "Gauri ji, waiting for Dunki."
07:37 (IST) Dec 21

Gauri said Dunki's a film to be very proud of and loved the humour.

Shah Rukh Khan

07:32 (IST) Dec 21

We cannot compare Dunki to the earlier films of Shah Rukh Khan that came from the action genre. If the content is good, collections may go beyond Pathaan and Jawan.

Komal Nahtasays

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