There is an interesting conflict at the heart of Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra. The title means boundaries, and the film attempts to explore the thin line between “the law has done its duty” and “law will take its course”. We have encountered this conflict many times before, but here the situation feels believable enough to raise a pertinent question about what is actually correct.
Inspired by true events, Daayra follows DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), and DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan), as a case places them on opposing sides of the same system. Their professional conflict becomes the virtual boundary within which the film operates, examining truth, accountability and the moral limits of justice. Rather than drawing from a single incident, the narrative weaves references from several cases into its central story.
The first half has enough to make you sit up. When Ajooni is given the responsibility of investigating Raman Kumar’s (encounter) case, she tells her colleagues that she will “investigate without prejudice” before adding, “colleagues ko nahin incidents ko investigate karti hoon”. It is a line that immediately establishes the kind of officer she intends to be. Later, when a furious Raman says, “phir se ek family ne beti khoi hai”, the emotional weight of the situation comes through strongly. The references to changes in rules following the Delhi rape case also create an expectation that Daayra is heading towards something more layered and thought provoking.
Unfortunately, that promise is largely confined to the first half.
Post interval, Daayra becomes more about action and reaction. The film remains within its titular boundaries, choosing not to explore the larger process of how the criminals are found or how the system actually works. Instead, the screenplay takes a more convenient route through the crime, the eventual nabbing of the criminals and the blurred line between law and duty. The questions raised earlier remain interesting, but the film does not always dig deep enough into them.
One of the film’s more pleasing aspects is its easy going treatment. The background score remains subtle for most of the film, allowing the situations and performances to breathe instead of relying on the kind of blaring sound design that has become increasingly common.
Prithviraj and Kareena Kapoor Khan are well cast and fit their respective characters. Raman is deliberately mellowed down, something his colleague points out when he tells him, “you have now kept your anger in check for good”. Kareena brings a touch of dark humour to Ajooni through her sarcastic approach to investigation, particularly because she seems to have understood the pattern fairly early.
But it is Kshitee Jog, in the limited role of the victim’s mother, who quietly commands the required attention. Her presence gives the film an emotional grounding that some of its procedural portions lack.
Daayra ultimately works better as a straightforward crime thriller than as the deeper examination of justice and accountability that its opening half promises. Yet, at a time when audiences have been subjected to a steady run of disappointing films, there is something reassuring about simply getting a film that gives you a reason to stay with it.
Movie: Daayra
Directed by: Meghna Gulzar
Featuring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor, Kshitee Jog, Jitendra Joshi
Theatrical Release Date: 18 September 2026
Run Time: 2hrs 23mins
Daayra
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