Akashdeep Sabir received a call from Shah Rukh Khan for the title of ‘Dunki’ and remembered: ‘His office called me and asked for money …’. – The Times of India

Shahrukh Khan is known not only for his stardom but also for his kindness and grace. Actor-filmekar Akashdeep SabirWho has held many conversation with him, has recently shared an interesting story of how SRK personally reached him about the title of his film Dunky,
Origin of ‘Dunki’
During the epidemics, Akashdeep came to catch the stories of illegal immigrants, known as the ‘donkey path’. Based on these real -life journeys, he hired a writer to develop a television series to a writer, which was spread over four sessions. While finalizing a title, he considered several options, including Ass roadThe Road to Death, and Danki.
At the same time, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani was developing a film with a similar subject starring Shah Rukh Khan. As in luck, both sides found Dunky the correct title. This was followed by a conversation between SRK and Akashdeep, which led to an agreement on the name.
SRK’s personal approach
When Shah Rukh Khan learned about the title Dunky, he immediately reached Akashdeep Sabir, who saw the early days of SRK in Mumbai when he arrived to act for the first time. Akashdeep recalled in an interview with Lehran Retro that Rajkumar Hirani had come up with the same title idea, and when the SRK asked him to gain authority, he admitted that no one had already claimed. However, Hirani informed him that Akashdeep had a title. Hearing this, SRK assured Hirani that there was no need to worry – he would personally talk with Akashdeep.

Unbeatable call from srk
Akashdeep recalled his editing room when he received a call from an unknown number. At the other end, the voice carelessly introduced himself as Shah Rukh Khan. Initially, Akashdeep thought that it was a mischief. He saw his arrival in Mumbai with SRK on three world tours and with Vivek Vaswani, he had known the superstar for years. However, over time, he lost the touch.
Another call and reunion on dinner
The second time Shahrukh called, Akashdeep felt that it is not a mischief. SRK politely introduced himself and assured him that he had called at the wrong time. He shared his number, which mentioned that he was not on WhatsApp, but could be reached via SMS. Once Akashdeep understood that it was actually SRK, he apologized for his earlier confusion. His conversation became indifferent when SRK asked if he had still been till 5 am, as before. Both of them again joined the dinner, discussed the family and the old times. During his next meeting, Shah Rukh brought the Danki title and requested. Without any hesitation, Akashdeep agreed to hand over it.

Shah Rukh Khan then held a meeting with Akashdeep, Rajkumar Hirani and the film’s team. During these discussions, he exchanged scripts to ensure that there is no equality or conflict between his projects.
SRK’s office provides payment, Akashdeep declines
Akashdeep remembered that Shah Rukh’s office later approached him to discuss the payment for the title. However, he voluntarily removed it, stating that he had no plans to use it and saw no reason to charge Shah Rukh Khan. Considering SRK, he praised him as a true gentleman, highly intelligent and worthy of his success.
Dunki, the specialty of Tansi Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, was released in December 2023.