Starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, Dunki is a comedy-drama directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film also featured Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal in pivotal roles. While it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences upon release, it still went on to gross around ₹470 crore worldwide, making it a commercial success by most standards.
However, Dunki is widely regarded as an underperformer considering Shah Rukh Khan’s phenomenal box-office run in 2023. The actor had already delivered two back-to-back ₹1,000 crore blockbusters with Pathaan and Jawan, leading many to expect a similar outcome for Hirani’s directorial. As a result, the film’s box-office performance was viewed as modest in comparison.
Speaking on the film’s performance in a recent podcast, Rajkumar Hirani shared his perspective on why Dunki couldn’t match the success of his previous blockbusters. He explained that the film’s central theme—illegal immigration and visa struggles—is something only a section of the audience can personally relate to. Drawing a comparison with 3 Idiots, which revolved around India’s education system, Hirani said that unlike the Aamir Khan starrer, Dunki lacked a universally relatable subject, which may have limited its wider appeal.