(Flickr)

by Eesha T.

Premiering four days before Christmas, Dunki, which means “donkey flight,” features the renowned Shah Rukh Khan as a Punjabi immigrant. Along with three friends, he illegally enters London after failing to secure student visas at home, engaging in a method of migration involving individuals entering a foreign country through a series of intermediate stops in other nations, often outside of the law.

Khan plays Hardy, who along with his friends Manu, Bali, and Sukhi resort to the perilous undertaking  to live in England’s vibrant city. As undocumented immigrants, the group navigates illegal border crossings and eludes border patrol officers. But their hopes of success shatter when the only jobs they can get are as sewage cleaners and graveyard janitors. 

After a lawyer misguides their chances of gaining legal status and after a priest betrays their trust, Khan’s character exposes how easily the privileged can obtain visas while the poorest of people become dehumanized in the process of gaining citizenship.

Director Rajkumar Hirani’s 2 hours and 40 minute film made a significant impact on the global box office, surpassing the $58 million mark with a modest budget of $15 million.

The film portrays the harrowing journey experienced by millions of migrants globally, showcasing the complex emotions of yearning for one’s homeland while pursuing better opportunities elsewhere. It encapsulates the struggle of leaving home for a brighter future, yet retaining the deep-seated love one possesses for their country.