Dhak Dhuk is an animated documentary capturing an intimate day in the life of Vimal and her daughter Sonali in a Mumbai slum. In these spaces, education is viewed as a vital ticket to upward mobility, promising escape from precarious living conditions and the informal labour crisis. However, the system often becomes a monolith, prioritising high-stakes subjects like Math and English over interest-based learning or actual comprehension. The film focuses on the unique struggle of Sonali, a "slow learner" and the first school-goer in her family. It examines the immense pressure placed on children who cannot meet the rigid demands of standard schooling. Through the bond between mother and daughter, Dhak Dhuk explores the emotional and practical weight of education as a means to an end. It serves as a poignant critique of a system that overlooks individual needs, questioning what happens to those who fall through the cracks of the dream for a better life.