Archive · 19 Sep 2026
Daayra Challenges India’s Ideas of Justice and Revenge
Daayra is a fictional film about crime, police power and justice.
It is set in India in 2019.
The story recalls a case in which four suspects died while they were in police custody.
Many people celebrated the deaths, but the film asks whether the suspects received a fair legal process.
Police officer Raman Kumar believes his team is pursuing justice.
Investigator Ajooni Kohli tries to discover whether the deaths were accidental or planned.
The film shows that courts and police can make very different claims about justice.
It asks viewers whether breaking the law can ever be justified to punish people accused of terrible crimes.
Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra examines whether punishment can become revenge when due process is slow.
The fictional 2019 story recalls a Hyderabad rape-murder case and the deaths of four suspects in police custody.
Top cop Raman Kumar faces scrutiny as investigator Ajooni Kohli examines whether the deaths were staged.
The film follows Raman’s pursuit of criminals alongside Ajooni’s inquiry into the suspects’ deaths.
The review praises Kareena Kapoor Khan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kshitee Jog and Jitendra Joshi for their performances.
- Who
- Meghna Gulzar directed Daayra, with Kareena Kapoor Khan as investigator Ajooni Kohli and Prithviraj Sukumaran as police officer Raman Kumar.
- What
- Daayra is a fictional investigative drama about a rape-murder investigation and questions surrounding the deaths of four suspects in police custody.
- When
- The story takes place in 2019; the review discusses the film’s release without specifying a date.
- Where
- The story is set in India and recalls a case in Hyderabad.
- Why
- The film examines the tension between justice, revenge, police action, due process and delayed legal proceedings.
Due Process
Immediate Retribution
How justice should be delivered
Due Process
Justice should be determined through investigation, courts and legal procedure, without prejudice.
Immediate Retribution
Supporters of police action may see swift punishment as necessary when the formal system delays or denies justice.
The suspects’ deaths
Due Process
The deaths require an independent inquiry to determine whether the police acted unlawfully or staged an encounter.
Immediate Retribution
The public celebration shown in the film reflects a view that the deaths delivered a satisfying response to a brutal crime.
The role of law enforcement
Due Process
Police must remain within the law and cannot take punishment into their own hands.
Immediate Retribution
The film presents the argument that forceful action can appear justified when officers believe the justice system will fail.
- Film
- Daayra
- Director
- Meghna Gulzar
- Setting
- India, 2019
- Central investigation
- Ajooni Kohli investigates whether four suspects’ deaths were accidental or deliberately planned.
- Police officer
- Raman Kumar, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran
- Lead investigator
- Ajooni Kohli, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan
- Source of inspiration
- The film is described as fiction based on a narrative of publicly available events and recalls a Hyderabad rape-murder case.