Meghna Gulzar on 'Daayra': Kareena's character upholds her righteousness to a fault

Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has offered new insights into her upcoming crime thriller 'Daayra', starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, describing the film's lead characters as righteous individuals who navigate the shifting boundaries of law and justice.

Speaking with IANS during promotions in Mumbai's Andheri West area, Gulzar said that while the two characters approach their case from different angles, they are not fundamentally opposed. "They are actually not at the opposite ends of the spectrum. They are part of the same spectrum. They are part of the same world of law enforcement and the police force. It is circumstances that put them on opposite sides of an incident," she told IANS.

Gulzar elaborated on the characters' moral complexity: "And how they navigate that and yet remain within boundaries, which keep changing depending on what is going on at that particular time. So, sometimes like the line of law can entrap you. Sometimes it can show you the way. And that's what they are navigating through 'Daayra'. They are both righteous. Let's put it this way. But Kareena's character, Ajooni Kohli will uphold her righteousness to a fault. Raman, who is Prithvi's character, is also righteous, but he's fierce as well. So sometimes his ferocity overtakes his righteousness."

The film's origins

Gulzar revealed that the idea for 'Daayra' first came to her in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown. "Actually, the idea was sent my way in 2020. I still remember where I was. I was at my village home and there was a lockdown because of Covid-19. And it was a story written over a few pages. The idea had come from Junglee Pictures," she told IANS.

At the time, Gulzar was already deep into the creative process of making the biopic 'Sam Bahadur' starring Vicky Kaushal. Despite the scheduling conflict, she was drawn to the story's relevance. "And yet, it grabbed me because the issues that it talks about are so prevalent and we, even Junglee Pictures and I, we both knew that I will be making Sam Bahadur next. And we were okay to make it after four years because we knew that it's not going to get outdated even after four years," she said.

In a separate interview with PTI, Gulzar confirmed she was first approached to make 'Daayra' in 2020 and that the story was sent to her by Junglee Pictures during the lockdown. She noted that the film's themes would remain relevant even years later.

Story and themes

'Daayra' is written by Gulzar, Yash Keswani, and Sima Agarwal. According to the official synopsis, the story unfolds in the aftermath of a crime that grips the nation, sparking widespread outrage and setting a series of events and two investigations in motion. Two senior police officers, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, navigate the same system through different approaches to duty and justice, on opposing sides of a case that challenges the very idea of right and wrong.

Gulzar told PTI that the film explores moral grey zones. "What 'Daayra' tries to do is explore the greys because everything is not black and white. What may be justice for you, may be injustice for me, it depends on which side of the line we are standing on," she said.

The film leans closer to the procedural tone of her 2015 investigative drama 'Talvar', which was loosely based on the 2008 Noida double murder case of a teenage girl and the family servant. Gulzar also told PTI that 'Daayra' is an amalgamation of several real cases from across the country, with research and writing taking around two years.

Production and release

'Daayra' is produced by Vineet Jain under the banner of Junglee Pictures, with Pen Studios also attached as a producer, according to Daily Excelsior. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 18, 2026.

The project marks a collaboration between Kareena Kapoor Khan, known for her recent inclination toward layered, content-driven characters, and Gulzar's restrained, issue-oriented storytelling style seen in films like 'Talvar', 'Raazi', and 'Sam Bahadur'.