Back in 2024, Bollywood filmmaker Siddharth Anand found himself at the receiving end of severe trolling after claiming that 90% of Indians had never flown in an aeroplane and therefore couldn’t fully relate to Fighter. His remarks on the film’s mixed reception were widely mocked, with many arguing that audiences don’t need firsthand experience to connect with a story.
Now, acclaimed director Rajkumar Hirani has landed in a similar controversy. In a recent interview with noted journalist Sanjay Arora, Hirani reflected on the response to Dunki, starring Shah Rukh Khan.
He said the film may not have connected with a section of the audience because relatively few people have experienced visa struggles or illegal immigration. Comparing it with 3 Idiots, Hirani said the earlier film struck a chord across households because almost everyone could relate to India’s education system.
Despite grossing over Rs. 470 crore worldwide, Dunki has once again become a talking point because of Hirani’s remarks. Clips from the interview have gone viral on social media, with many netizens drawing comparisons to Siddharth Anand’s controversial comments on Fighter.
Many users disagreed with Hirani’s reasoning, arguing that audiences have embraced films based on space, superheroes, wars and fantasy without personally experiencing those worlds. According to them, a film’s emotional impact and storytelling matter far more than whether viewers have lived through its subject.
It remains to be seen whether Hirani will respond to the criticism or clarify his remarks. Meanwhile, his maiden OTT series, Pritam and Pedro, starring Arshad Warsi and Vikrant Massey, is set to premiere on JioHotstar on July 3, 2026.