World Connect News
Meghna
Gulzar’s investigative crime drama Daayra—drawing creative parallels to the real-life 2019 Hyderabad encounter case—pitches due process against vigilante retribution in an atmospheric, procedural clash. Led by nuanced performances from Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, the courtroom-adjacent thriller asks critical questions about systemic apathy and public bloodlust. However, while its moral core is hard-hitting, the screenplay repeatedly circles familiar ethical arguments without delivering the definitive cinematic punch expected from the maker of Talvar and Raazi.
A Clash of Ideologies: Vigilantism vs. The Law
The narrative kicks off on a simmering high note: DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and his squad shoot down four accused perpetrators implicated in the horrific rape and murder of 24-year-old Ragini Poojari. While the public and sensationalist media hail Raman as an instant folk hero, the controversial shootout draws severe scrutiny from Internal Vigilance. Enter DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan), a disciplined, unyielding investigator tasked with dissecting the encounter forensic by forensic, peeling back the layers to discover whether justice was served or manufactured.
Compelling Lead Turns Anchor a Repetitive Screenplay
Kareena Kapoor Khan commands the screen with calculated restraint, bringing a quiet authority that avoids aggressive Bollywood cop tropes. Opposite her, Prithviraj delivers a brooding, intense performance, giving Raman a conviction that makes his moral compromises genuinely unsettling. Their ideological tug-of-war forms the spine of the film. Yet, as the runtime stretches, the dialogue-heavy interrogation scenes fall into a repetitive cadence. The screenplay often reiterates its central thesis—that broken administrative systems enable crime before resorting to encounter violence—without escalating the narrative tension.
Sharp Social Critique That Stops Just Short of Impact
What Daayra does masterfully is expose the institutional callousness families endure: the missing complaint ignored, jurisdictional ping-pong, and subtle victim-blaming. A standout performance by Kshitee Jog as the grieving mother provides raw emotional weight. Yet, by keeping the drama strictly clinical and refusing to let personal stakes fully boil over, the climactic confrontation feels somewhat muted. It remains a provocative watch for fans of grounded procedural dramas, even if its narrative compass spins in circles rather than landing with full force.