Daayra Review: Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran lead Meghna Gulzar’s tense crime drama exploring justice, policing and a controversial encounter.
Daayra Review: Meghna Gulzar returns with a crime drama that refuses to give viewers easy answers. Starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead roles, the film revolves around a controversial police encounter and the difficult questions surrounding justice, policing and the law.
After films such as Raazi and Sam Bahadur, Meghna Gulzar has established a style of storytelling that often combines real-world themes with morally complex characters. Daayra follows a similar path, placing two contrasting viewpoints at the centre of its narrative.
The result is a tense and layered film that works largely because it encourages viewers to question their own assumptions rather than simply choose sides.
Daayra Story: A Controversial Encounter at the Centre
The story introduces DCP Raman Kumar, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, as a police officer who becomes a public hero after his team kills four men accused in the brutal assault and murder of 24-year-old Ragini Poojari.
The encounter initially appears to many as an example of swift justice. However, questions soon emerge over whether the four suspects were genuinely killed during an encounter or whether the operation was deliberately staged.
This is where DCP Ajooni Kohli, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, enters the story. Ajooni works with Internal Vigilance and is tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the encounter. She travels to Suryapur with her team and begins reconstructing what happened before the killings.
As the investigation progresses, the film gradually reveals different sides of the case. Rather than turning the mystery into a conventional police thriller, the narrative focuses on the conflict between justice, procedure and personal conviction.
The story also draws parallels with the 2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case and the subsequent encounter involving the four accused.
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Kareena Kapoor Khan Delivers a Controlled Performance
One of the biggest strengths highlighted in this Daayra Review is Kareena Kapoor Khan’s performance as Ajooni Kohli.
The character is deliberately understated. Ajooni is not presented as a stereotypical action-oriented police officer who relies on dramatic speeches or heroic moments. Instead, she remains observant, composed and focused on uncovering the truth.
Kareena’s restrained performance suits the character. Her expressions and body language communicate much of Ajooni’s internal conflict without making the character unnecessarily dramatic.
However, the character could have benefited from a deeper exploration of her personal side. Despite this limitation, Kareena makes the most of the material and gives the investigation a strong emotional centre.
Prithviraj Sukumaran Brings Complexity to Raman Kumar
Prithviraj Sukumaran plays DCP Raman Kumar, an officer convinced that the existing system failed Ragini and could fail another victim in the future.
Raman’s perspective is important because the film does not portray him as a straightforward villain. His frustration with the system is understandable within the story, even though his methods raise serious questions.
Prithviraj gives the character conviction while maintaining enough ambiguity to make Raman more than a one-dimensional police officer. His ideological confrontation with Ajooni becomes one of the film’s key strengths.
Jitendra Joshi also makes an impression in his supporting role, while Biswapati Sarkar brings presence to his limited screen time. Kanwaljit Singh plays Ajooni’s father, although his character has relatively little material. Kshitee Jog stands out as Ragini’s grieving mother, delivering a performance that avoids unnecessary melodrama.
Meghna Gulzar Keeps the Audience Guessing
The direction is another important part of this Daayra Review.
Meghna Gulzar does not treat the audience as someone who needs every question answered immediately. Instead, she gradually introduces new information and allows the central conflict to evolve.
The biggest strength of the direction is the way Ajooni and Raman’s opposing viewpoints are handled. Their disagreements are not simply used to establish a conventional hero-versus-villain dynamic.
As new perspectives emerge, viewers may find themselves reconsidering their initial understanding of the case. The film consequently raises questions about whether justice and legal procedure can always be understood from the same perspective.
What Works in Daayra?
The performances are among the film’s biggest positives. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran bring contrasting personalities to their characters, and their ideological conflict keeps the story engaging.
The screenplay also benefits from avoiding straightforward answers. Instead of clearly instructing viewers about whom to support, the film presents competing arguments surrounding justice, policing and institutional systems.
The atmosphere creates another layer of tension. Even during slower portions, there is a feeling that an important revelation or confrontation could emerge at any moment.
Meghna Gulzar’s treatment also keeps the film serious without making it feel like a direct lecture on social or legal issues.
Where Daayra Falls Short
The film has some noticeable weaknesses as well.
A few supporting characters do not receive enough development despite being played by capable actors. This leaves some parts of the story feeling less explored than they could have been.
The pacing also becomes uneven at certain points. The central investigation remains interesting, but some sequences take longer than necessary to reach the next significant development.
Ajooni is arguably one of the film’s most intriguing characters, yet the screenplay leaves some aspects of her personality and background unexplored.
Daayra Review: Final Verdict
The overall Daayra Review comes down to a crime drama that prioritises uncomfortable questions over easy conclusions.
Kareena Kapoor Khan delivers a measured performance as an investigator trying to uncover the truth, while Prithviraj Sukumaran gives Raman Kumar the conviction and complexity required for such a morally complicated role.
The film may not match the impact of Meghna Gulzar’s most acclaimed earlier work, but it remains an engaging and thought-provoking drama. Its strongest quality is its refusal to reduce a complicated issue to a simple answer.
For viewers looking for a conventional cop thriller, Daayra may feel deliberately restrained. But for those interested in morally layered storytelling, the film offers plenty to think about even after the credits roll.
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