Daayra Movie Review: Is This Prithviraj and Kareena’s Crime Thriller Worth Watching?

Release Date: September 18, 2026

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog and others

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Producers: Dhaval Jayantilal Gada

Music Director: Amit Trivedi

Cinematographer: Saurabh Goswami ISC

Editor: Charu Shree Roy

Story:
Daayra revolves around a gruesome rape case that triggers widespread public outrage and demands for immediate justice. The police arrest four accused, but during the crime-scene reconstruction, DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and his team encounter them. Raman creates a narrative suggesting that the accused attacked the police first, forcing them to retaliate. As questions arise over the encounter, the Human Rights Department intervenes and a Special Investigation Team is formed under DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan). The conflict between the two officers and their contrasting approaches to justice forms the core of the story.

Plus Points:
The film takes some time to settle but gradually builds an intense and gloomy atmosphere that suits its serious subject. The first half contains several engaging moments, particularly the realistic depiction of the police operation to track down the accused. Kshitee Jog’s emotional confrontation with the police is effective. Prithviraj delivers a strong performance as a police officer who follows his own interpretation of justice.

Minus Points:
The biggest drawback is the film’s failure to fully explore the ideological conflict between Prithviraj and Kareena’s characters. The premise sets up an interesting debate between instant justice and due process, creating expectations for strong confrontations between the two leads. However, their ideological face-off is limited to a brief sequence near the climax, resulting in a weak payoff. The second half loses focus and becomes repetitive and dull. Kareena also gets limited screen time, which reduces the impact of her character.

Technical Aspects:
Ketan Sodha’s background score supports the serious mood of the film, while Saurabh Goswami’s cinematography effectively captures its dark and tense atmosphere. The production values are good, and some of the intercut sequences are neatly executed. However, Meghna Gulzar’s direction does not fully utilise the potential of the subject. More scenes featuring the two leads and deeper exploration of their opposing viewpoints could have strengthened the narrative.

Verdict:
Daayra starts with an intriguing premise and delivers a reasonably engaging first half, supported by Prithviraj’s performance and the film’s dark atmosphere. However, the second half fails to develop the central moral conflict effectively. The lack of substantial confrontations between the lead characters and a weak climax prevent the film from making the desired impact.