Sartaj Singh
‘Dunki,’ helmed by acclaimed director Rajkumar Hirani, is a comedic drama film following the journey of four friends struggling to reach the land of their dreams in the United Kingdom, and subsequently making their way back home upon feeling the calling. Unable to secure a visa, Hardy (Shah Rukh Khan) and his friends set out from Punjab to achieve their ambitions one way or another. Their path takes them through a life-changing series of challenges and setbacks, leaving them wondering if their monumental effort would ultimately be worth it.
Needless to say, the film is one of great journey and adventure, taking us through foreign lands and dangerous frontiers. Marveling at their saga, you may wonder if the filming of the movie was an equally arduous task, and which locations were used to portray the lands stretching out before us on the silver screen.
Where Was Dunki Filmed?
‘Dunki’ was extravagantly filmed across dozens of shooting locations spanning multiple countries, over the course of a year. These included shooting sites in Mumbai, Jabalpur, and Kashmir in India, as well as in London in the UK, Budapest in Hungary and Saudi Arabia. Principal photography began in April of 2022 and was wrapped up by April of 2023, with 75 days of filming taking place over the year. After filming for the movie was concluded, a promotional song for it was lensed in Dubai, lighting up the Burj Khalifa in a grand marketing stunt. Allow us to take you on the continent traversing journey with the filmmakers of ‘Dunki,’ exploring all the shooting sites and their anecdotes along the way.
Mumbai, India
The filming schedule of ‘Dunki’ began in Mumbai, Maharashtra, in April 2022, and carried on in the city until July 2022. Large sets were erected in their Mumbai studio, presenting what seemed to be vintage small-town buildings, likely setting the backdrop for the beginning of our heroes’ journey in Punjab. After their first leg of international shooting, October 2022 saw the superstar returning to Mumbai and filming a biking scene in the studio, with an underwater sequence being lensed in January of 2023.
London, England
With the first chapter of the movie covering the journey to London, it comes as no surprise that London, the capital city of the England as well as the United Kingdom, was used as a filming destination. Taapsee Pannu and Shah Rukh Khan were spotted on set sporting slightly disheveled attire, alluding to the characters’ long journey to reach the city. They were also spotted filming in front of Big Ben, one of the most iconic monuments of the country.
Budapest, Hungary
Seated in central Europe, the capital city of Budapest saw the ‘Dunki’ film crew visit its locations in late July 2022 and wrap up filming there in early August 2022. With its central location in Europe, halfway between Turkey and London, Budapest served as a scenic transition point on the characters’ journey.
And it's a schedule wrap of #Dunki in #Budapest
Shah Rukh Khan | Taapsee Pannu | Raj Kumar Hirani @iamsrk @taapsee @RajkumarHirani pic.twitter.com/Jds09yVR6j— Zain ᴰᵁᴺᴷᴵ (@iam_zain_srkian) August 3, 2022
Saudi Arabia
In November of 2022, Shah Rukh Khan AKA King Khan visited Saudi Arabia for a 12-day shoot in the port city of Jeddah in Makkah Province, and the ambitiously planned urban area of Neom in its northwest Tabuk province. Interestingly, earlier reports suggested that this stretch of filming would be conducted in Dubai. However, the filmmakers were drawn to the developing filming infrastructure in the Saudi cities, making ‘Dunki’ the first Bollywood film to be shot in Neom. These locations set the scene for our protagonists as they traveled along a desert landscape, battling the elements and hostile soldiers.
Jabalpur, India
Jabalpur’s stunning Bhedaghat and Dhuandhar waterfalls feature in ‘Dunki’ along with the Narmada river, as the migrants boat across it with white marble rock faces flanking them on either side. Filming here was carried out over three days in December 2022. The team was faced with protests by a certain group in the region over the song, Besharam Rang, in ‘Pathan.’ However, the mob could not get past police barricades, and filming was wrapped up in the area before any real harm could be done.
Kashmir, India
‘Dunki’ was filmed among the picturesque mountains and valleys of Kashmir over four days in April of 2023. The cast and crew made their way up to capture the expansive sights of Pampore, Srinagar, Pulwama, Sonamarg, the Thajwas glacier, and the village of Panzgam. During filming, the actors were seen wearing pullovers, carrying rucksacks, and signaling passing vehicles for a lift. These scenes likely represented our weary heroes trekking and hitchhiking across cold mountainous regions, while heading for their hopeful destination.
In 2021, Khan had made a promise to the Lt. Governor of the state, to bring his films here and boost the local economy. And by completing the final leg of filming for ‘Dunki’ in Kashmir, he upheld his pledge to the governor, and to the fans who awaited the movie’s timely release.
Read More: Dunki: Is the Shah Rukh Khan Movie Based on True Events?
