Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has had a busy year in 2023 with three releases. While two of his previous films in 2023 have made the top-grossing list, his latest offering ‘Dunki’ has opened to mixed reviews across the country.
Mumbai witnessed a celebratory fervor with fans dancing to dhols and assembling for an early morning show, throwing confetti, lighting up a mammoth cutout of the actor, and more. Despite the excitement among fans, the numbers at the box office speak otherwise.
The top five highest-grossing films this year have been – ‘Jawan’, ‘ Pathaan’, ‘Animal’, ‘Gadar 2’, and ‘Tiger 3’.
As per reports, ‘Dunki’ collected Rs 30 crore (USD 3.6 million) on day 1 at the box office. However, it is the lowest among the three Shah Rukh Khan films that were released this year after ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’.
Even a controversial film like ‘Adipurush’ collected more than ‘Dunki’ – Rs 36 crore on day one. However, the Rajkumar Hirani directorial still managed to beat movies like ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, and ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’, which also had big superstars.
‘Dunki’, characterised as a comedy-drama revolving around illegal immigration, failed to impress several film critics. The excitement surrounding the film didn’t quite reach the fervor experienced with Shah Rukh’s two earlier releases.
Hirani is known for films like ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘PK’, and ‘Sanju’. This was his first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan.
‘Dunki’ also stars Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, and Boman Irani. The film has been co-written by Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani, and Kanika Dhillon.
It is a heartwarming tale of four friends — Manu, Sukhi, Buggu, and Balli — who dream of settling down in London for a better life but have to undertake an arduous yet life-changing journey to reach their goal.
‘Dunki’ hit the big screens on December 21. It had a solo release on Thursday to avoid a clash with Prabhas’ ‘Salaar’ on Friday.