Movie Name : Daayra
Release Date : September 18 , 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog and Others
Director : Meghna Gulzar
Producers : Dhaval Jayantilal Gada
Music Directors : Amit Trivedi
Cinematographer : Saurabh Goswami ISC
Editor : Charu Shree Roy
Related Links : Trailer
Daayra is the latest investigative crime thriller starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead roles. The film, directed by renowned director Meghna Gulzar, is now out in cinemas. The movie is based on real incidents, and let’s see how it is.
Story:
A gruesome rape takes place, and the incident becomes the topic of discussion. Cops nab the four criminals, but outrage grows among the public demanding instant justice, after which DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and his team encounter them during the crime scene recreation. DCP Raman creates a narrative that they retaliated only after the criminals attacked them by taking away some of their weapons. Amid huge pressure from the Human Rights Department, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is formed, and DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan) heads it. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Plus points:
Though the film starts on a slow note, things get interesting after a while. What works well about Daayra is that it creates and maintains a gloomy atmosphere throughout, which suits the serious nature of the story.
The first half works fairly thanks to its interesting moments. The way the cops chase down the criminals and capture them is depicted in a realistic manner. The scene where Kshitee Jog shouts at the cops for their careless attitude is emotionally effective. Prithviraj Sukumaran once again brings his A-game and delivers a stunning act as a cop who has his own interpretation of what justice means.
Minus Points:
Daayra aims to present a moral battle between Prithviraj and Kareena’s characters, distinguishing between instant justice and justice served through the judicial system. Given its premise and the first half, one would naturally expect the latter half to be full of face-off/confrontation moments between the leads, discussing their ideologies. Unfortunately, the movie features just one small moment involving the leads, and that too at the end. The payoff is extremely weak.
It is really disappointing to see the film not explore the subject matter fully, with more conversations around the contrasting opinions surrounding a staged encounter. Interestingly, Prithviraj’s own film Jana Gana Mana, also based on the Hyderabad Disha case, has shown the other side of the coin with more insightful episodes and revelations.
Kareena Kapoor Khan gets less screen time, which is one key reason why the film feels less convincing. Her role should have been designed strongly enough to deliver the intended impact. The whole second half goes around aimlessly and becomes boring too.
Technical Aspects:
The background score by Ketan Sodha is fine, while Saurabh Goswami impresses with his visuals. Some intercuts are neatly done, and the production values are good.
Direction by Meghna Gulzar isn’t at the expected level. Given her body of work, the film feels mediocre and falls well short of satisfactory levels. There aren’t enough combination scenes between Prithviraj and Kareena to fully immerse the audience in the moral battle that the film tries to present. More emphasis was needed on the conflicting nature of the leads.
Verdict:
On the whole, Daayra is an underwhelming film that doesn’t make the most of its intriguing premise and holds back when it needs to deliver. The first half is neatly built with some gripping moments, but just when the movie is expected to make a stronger impact, the second half runs out of steam and offers no significant moments. The ideological differences established between the leads in the first half should have eventually led to a powerful face-off and a strong climax, but Daayra disappoints in this regard.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team