Daayra: Meghna Gulzar's cop drama puts justice and police procedure under the lens

Meghna Gulzar's Daayra, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is getting people talking because of the questions it raises, not because it is loud. The crime thriller follows two police officers who wear the same uniform but see justice very differently. One believes justice delayed is justice denied. The other holds that the rule of law must come first, however long the process takes.

The film is inspired by true events. Its story begins with a young woman stuck on a highway at night, who calls her brother for help. When her mother goes to the police, she is reportedly sent away, asked inappropriate questions and told the case falls under another station's jurisdiction. By the time the system starts to move, the young woman has been abducted, raped and killed.

Telugu audiences will find a familiar echo here. The film reportedly recreates the public celebrations that followed the 2019 Hyderabad case, in which police killed four suspects in a rape and murder case in an alleged encounter. The film does not treat that moment as a win. It asks viewers to look at the failures that came before it, and it shows a grieving family that does not join the celebration. One line from Kareena's character sums up its mood: "The laws changed, but the people are the same."

At the ticket window, reports say the film has earned over Rs 7 crore net in India in its first six days. Critics have reportedly praised the performances, the direction and the careful handling of a painful subject. Its themes of justice, accountability and the limits of institutions are keeping the conversation going beyond the collection numbers.

Daayra is the first on-screen pairing of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and the first joint production of Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios. It is also Meghna Gulzar's third film with Junglee Pictures, after Talvar and Raazi. The film is written by Yash Keswani, Sima Agarwal and Meghna Gulzar.