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Daayra Review Finds Tense, Thought-Provoking Thriller Raises Questions
Daayra is a thriller about a serious rape case and the deaths of four suspects.
The police say the suspects were killed because they attacked officers.
Other people wonder whether the shooting was planned instead.
Kareena Kapoor Khan plays a police officer who investigates what happened.
Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the officer who led the original rape investigation.
The story follows both investigations in different timelines.
The film shows both sides without telling viewers exactly who is right.
It is tense, emotional, and sometimes uncomfortable.
The review gives it 3.5 stars and recommends watching it in theatres.
Daayra follows an alleged police shootout involving four rape accused, who officers say were killed in self-defense.
DCP Ajooni, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, leads an SIT investigation into whether the shootout was a planned encounter.
The film uses two timelines to show DCP Raman’s rape-case investigation and Ajooni’s inquiry into the shooting.
The review praises the tense storytelling, performances by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Kshitee Jog’s supporting performance.
Rated 3.5 stars, the 143-minute film is described as a mature, must-watch thriller that leaves its moral questions unanswered.
- Who
- DCP Ajooni, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, investigates a shootout involving four rape accused; DCP Raman, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, headed the rape case.
- What
- Daayra is an investigative thriller about whether the police shooting was a genuine act of self-defense or a planned encounter.
- Where
- In theatres.
- When
- The film is scheduled for theatrical release on September 18, 2026.
- Why
- An SIT investigates the shootout after questions arise about the police account of the deaths.
Planned Encounter View
Self-Defense View
What happened during the shootout?
Planned Encounter View
The deaths of the four rape accused may have resulted from a planned police encounter, which DCP Ajooni’s SIT investigates.
Self-Defense View
The police officers say they had to shoot the four accused in self-defense.
How should the case be judged?
Planned Encounter View
The circumstances require investigation and scrutiny rather than automatic acceptance of the police account.
Self-Defense View
The officers’ account presents the shooting as a necessary response to an immediate threat.
Film’s conclusion
Planned Encounter View
The story raises questions about whether the accused were unlawfully killed.
Self-Defense View
The film also presents the police perspective and does not issue a final judgment about who was right or wrong.
Key facts
- Film
- Daayra
- Director
- Meghna Gulzar
- Lead cast
- Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
- Release date
- September 18, 2026
- Where to watch
- In theatres
- Review rating
- 3.5 stars
Sources
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