Meghna Gulzar has built her formidable directorial legacy on taking complex, morally ambiguous real-world subjects and turning them into riveting cinematic experiences (Talvar, Raazi). With her latest directorial venture, Daayra, she returns to the gritty realm of police procedurals—but this time, she isn’t just asking who committed the crime, but what we are willing to accept in the name of justice.
Starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in powerhouse roles, the film tackles the highly sensitive and heavily debated topic of police encounters and extrajudicial killings. As the film hits theaters on September 18, 2026, here is a complete breakdown of why Daayra is one of the most important and uncomfortable films of the year.
The Premise: A Broken System And A Desperate Choice
Loosely drawing inspiration from multiple real-life tragedies—including echoes of the 2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case—Daayra kicks off with a chilling inciting incident. A young woman’s scooter breaks down, and after a frantic phone call to her family, she goes missing. What follows is a horrific crime that exposes the severe apathy and failures of the police system—including the agonizing reluctance to even file a timely FIR.
When the accused are caught but continuously slip through legal loopholes, DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and his specialized squad decide that the law is simply too slow and unreliable to deliver justice. They orchestrate a planned shootout—a police encounter that the public immediately celebrates as righteous closure.
However, the narrative truly begins when a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is assigned to probe the very encounter. Leading the SIT is DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan), a sharp, principled investigator who believes that no matter how flawed the system is, the police cannot abandon the rule of law to become executioners.
Cop vs. Cop: The Ideological Clash
The true spark of Daayra lies in the ideological warfare between its two leads. It is not a standard police-versus-criminal thriller; it is police versus police.
Prithviraj Sukumaran delivers a masterful, tightly coiled performance as Raman. He doesn’t play a traditional hero or a villain; he is a deeply frustrated officer who masks his explosive anger behind a polite smile. His portrayal makes Raman’s drastic actions frighteningly understandable, even if you don’t agree with them morally.
On the other side of the spectrum, Kareena Kapoor Khan brings a grounded, dry-witted energy to DCP Ajooni. While some critics note she struggles slightly to entirely shed her superstar persona in heavier dialogue-driven scenes, her conviction in portraying an officer fighting to maintain the boundaries (daayra) of the law is deeply compelling. Her character exposes the dangerous precedent set when enforcers decide which laws are worth following.
Supporting Cast and Pacing
The supporting cast elevates the film’s gritty realism. Kshitee Jog, playing the victim’s mother, delivers a heart-wrenching performance. Her silent scream upon discovering her daughter’s fate is easily the most human and devastating moment in the film. Trupti Khamkar and Jitendra Joshi, playing members of Raman’s squad, are pitch-perfect, with Khamkar getting one of the film’s most brutal and thrilling chase sequences.
Clocking in at 143 minutes, the film does suffer from minor pacing issues. The second half—focused heavily on the procedural SIT investigation—feels slightly stretched and dialogue-heavy, occasionally robbing the thriller of its urgency. Furthermore, the film introduces intriguing personal stakes for both cops, such as Ajooni’s relationship with her father (a retired judge), but leaves them somewhat underexplored.
The Verdict: Uncomfortable, Yet Essential Viewing
Meghna Gulzar makes a brilliant directorial choice by keeping the film completely devoid of a commercial soundtrack. Aside from a haunting B Praak track that plays over the end credits, the film relies on atmospheric tension, allowing the grim reality of the subject to breathe.
Daayra does not spoon-feed its audience or tell them who is right. It is an uncomfortable, slow-burn thriller that forces you to confront the very real, very terrifying space between vengeance and justice. With stellar performances and a deeply relevant subject, it is a highly compelling theatrical watch that will leave you debating its themes long after you leave the cinema.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the story of the Daayra movie?
Daayra is a gritty crime thriller that explores a horrific rape and murder case followed by a controversial police encounter. The film focuses on the ideological clash between two police officers: one who orchestrates the encounter believing the law has failed, and another who is assigned to investigate the shootout and uphold due process.
Is Daayra based on a true story?
While the film is a work of fiction, director Meghna Gulzar has confirmed that it is heavily researched and loosely inspired by multiple real-life incidents in India, most notably drawing parallels to the 2019 Hyderabad rape, murder, and subsequent police encounter case.
Who is in the cast of Daayra?
The film stars Kareena Kapoor Khan as DCP Ajooni Kohli and Prithviraj Sukumaran as DCP Raman Kumar. The supporting cast includes Kshitee Jog, Jitendra Joshi, and Trupti Khamkar.
When is Daayra releasing?
Daayra, produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios, is officially set to release in theaters on September 18, 2026.
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