Daayra Release Date: Prithviraj, Kareena Face Off in Meghna Gulzar’s Gripping Crime Thriller. Some films promise action. Daayra promises something harder to shake off: doubt. With its trailer now out, Meghna Gulzar’s latest returns to the morally grey territory that made Talvar unforgettable—this time pitting Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran against each other on opposite sides of the same case.
Table of Contents
Daayra: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Daayra Release Date | September 18, 2026 |
| Director | Meghna Gulzar |
| Lead Cast | Kareena Kapoor Khan, Prithviraj Sukumaran |
| Kareena’s Role | DCP Ajooni Kohli |
| Prithviraj’s Role | DCP Raman Kumar |
| Writers | Meghna Gulzar, Yash Keswani, Sima Agarwal |
| Production | Junglee Pictures, Pen Studios |
| Based On | True events |
A Story Built on Grey Areas
The trailer opens with a police encounter gone wrong. Prithviraj’s DCP Raman Kumar was escorting a rape and murder accused when, according to police, the suspect attacked his captors and was shot in self-defence. Was that truly what happened? An SIT is formed to investigate, and Kareena’s DCP Ajooni Kohli leads the charge, demanding answers about what really occurred that night.
As the case unfolds, Ajooni and Raman find themselves on opposing sides of the very system they’ve sworn to serve—each convinced their version of justice is right.

Meghna Gulzar’s Signature Territory
Ahead of the Daayra release date, Gulzar described her approach candidly: the film doesn’t sit comfortably in black and white, choosing instead to dismantle that binary entirely. It’s the same unflinching realism that defined Talvar and Raazi, now applied to a story about institutional accountability and the price of conviction.
Kareena and Prithviraj’s First Collaboration
Daayra marks the first time Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran have shared the screen, and early reactions suggest the pairing works instantly. Kareena brings sharp authority and emotional bite to Ajooni, while Prithviraj’s Raman carries a controlled, watchful intensity that makes their confrontations feel genuinely loaded.
For Kareena, this continues a recent run through the thriller genre following The Buckingham Murders and Jaane Jaan. For Prithviraj, it’s a chance to explore complicated institutional loyalty opposite one of Bollywood’s most respected leading ladies.
The Ensemble Backing Them Up
Supporting the two leads are Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog, Kanwaljeet Singh, Sandeep Kulkarni, and Trupti Khamkar, rounding out a cast built to sustain the film’s procedural tension. Saurabh Goswami handles cinematography, with editing by Charu Shree Roy.
Why the Daayra Release Date Matters
With September 18 fast approaching, Daayra is shaping up as one of the season’s most anticipated crime dramas—not for spectacle, but for the uncomfortable questions it dares to ask about truth, power, and who gets to decide what justice looks like.
Watch Daayra in theatres worldwide starting September 18, 2026.
Read More: Top 10 Villain Roles by Akshay Kumar: Before Haiwaan’s Cold-Hearted Antagonist





