Four childhood friends from a Punjab village share one dream: reaching England by any means they can find. Rajkumar Hirani's 2023 comedy-drama Dunki follows that dream through humor and heartbreak, anchored by Shah Rukh Khan in a role that leans on his gift for warmth as much as star wattage.
What is Dunki about?
With no visa and no ticket, the friends turn to an ex-soldier who claims he can get them across borders through the informal, often dangerous route migrants call 'donkey flights' — a patchwork journey through multiple countries rather than a direct trip. The film moves between the group's present-day reunion and the years of scheming, waiting, and heartbreak that got them there, using their friendship as the throughline connecting comic misadventures with the harder realities of illegal immigration. Taapsee Pannu plays a friend bound up in the group's plans and history, while Boman Irani, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar, and the rest of the ensemble fill out a village whose ambitions outgrow its borders. Hirani, known for blending broad comedy with social commentary, uses the group's quest for a better life abroad to look at what people are willing to risk when opportunity feels locked away at home.
About the cast
Shah Rukh Khan headlines opposite Taapsee Pannu, with Boman Irani, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar, Anil Grover, and Deven Bhojani rounding out the friend group and supporting cast.
Context & significance
Dunki is an India–United States co-production directed by Rajkumar Hirani, whose filmography frequently pairs mainstream comedy with pointed social themes. Released in 2023, it sits in the comedy-drama space, using the immigration journey as both plot engine and emotional core rather than a backdrop.
Watching Dunki on Ktime
Dunki streams on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, so Farsi-speaking viewers can watch either version. All you need is a free K-Time account login — the film page itself is open to read without one, and the Farsi interface makes browsing and playback straightforward for the diaspora audience.