Illegal Migration: the film Dunki through Dependency Theory

Rajkumar Hirani’s Hindi film Dunki [meaning illegal migration] (2023) depicts a story of a group of friends from Punjab, who set out on a perilous journey to emigrate to the United Kingdom via a clandestine route called 'donkey flight', risking their lives in the process. The film strikes a chord with audiences by portraying its protagonist’s relentless battle against structural inequalities – situations where one group of people are offered unequal opportunities in relation to the other groups of people – that disproportionately impact underdeveloped countries. The intent of this position paper is to engage in an analysis of the film by employing the lens of Dependency Theory. Accordingly, this analysis aims to delve into the intricate interplay of cultural and economic dependencies, shedding light on the broader narrative of global inequities. The film serves as a poignant reminder of how the underdeveloped world, due to economic and cultural inequalities, is driven to survive in the developed world, even if it is by illegal means.