Regal Cinema, Mumbai (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Daayra hit cinema screens today, pairing Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran for the first time under director Meghna Gulzar.
The crime thriller investigates a rape case and the alleged encounter killing of four accused men, framing a moral debate on justice and accountability.
Critics have praised Kareena Kapoor Khan’s performance as police officer Ajooni for its quiet authority, a departure from typical aggressive cop portrayals.
The 143-minute film has earned strong reviews, scoring between 3.5 and 4 stars across major outlets.
Critic Ramesh Bala rated it a gripping investigative thriller with a ‘solid police procedural’ backbone, praising both leads’ performances.
The story follows investigations into a rape case and the alleged encounter killing of four accused men, examining questions of justice and morality.
Kareena Kapoor Khan plays a police officer named Ajooni, with reviewers noting her performance leans into quiet authority rather than the aggressive cop archetype common in Hindi crime dramas.
The film runs 143 minutes and maintains tension through a police-procedural structure rather than dramatic excess.
Reviewers have rated the film between 3.5 and 4 stars, with critic Ramesh Bala calling it a ‘gripping investigative thriller backed by a solid police procedural.’
The film does not shy away from the harsh realities surrounding its central crime, examining the question of justice from multiple perspectives.
Both lead actors have been praised for holding the film together through restraint, with the story avoiding easy answers about who is right in a cop-versus-cop conflict.
Meghna Gulzar’s earlier film Raazi, also a tense thriller, was a major commercial and critical success and is often cited as a reference point for her directorial style.
The film’s climax has drawn mixed reactions from some critics even as the overall reception remained largely positive.
Daayra released in cinemas nationwide today alongside the regular Friday slate of new film releases in India.
Regal Cinema, Mumbai (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
