Daayra

“But this time around, the result is disappointing, the matter-of-factness in the telling coming off more as dryness: it's one thing to examine the innards of an 'encounter' killing, and quite another to position yourself quite so ambiguously around its legality. Are we really at the point of soft-soaping legal vigilante-ism? Then we are not just on a slippery slope; we are well past it.”

“Daayra works best when it refuses to turn a complicated question about justice into a simple answer. Director Meghna Gulzar's crime drama is gritty, grounded and often disturbing, but its real interest lies in what happens after a horrific crime: how the police respond, how public anger builds, and how two people working within the same system can arrive at completely different ideas of justice.”

“There is no limit to the number of times I would like to watch this motion picture.”

“'Daayra' is a gripping crime drama that chooses questions over easy answers. Meghna Gulzar keeps the film serious and grounded, while Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran give the story the emotional and moral weight it needs. With strong performances, assured direction and a subject that remains deeply relevant, Daayra makes for a compelling theatrical watch.”

“Daayra is worth the watch. If you want a reminder of why Bollywood should be taken seriously, this film is it. Meghna Gulzar outdid herself with the gripping tale, and it is dark enough to make you question the system and whether one is right over the other.”

“'Daayra' gets it right most of the time. It deals with a complex moral issue with scrupulosity and sensibleness. There is no room for humbug in the narration.”

“Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran make the central conflict compelling, while Meghna Gulzar keeps the focus on law, justice and accountability. The result is a gripping and hard-hitting crime drama that stays with you even after the credits roll.”

“Daayra is an engaging and gritty crime thriller that effectively presents two contrasting approaches to justice through the two cops. What makes Daayra gripping, despite the audience already knowing the incident and its outcome, is Meghna's focus on the people and emotions surrounding it.”

“Overall, Daayra is undoubtedly one of the best works of Meghna Gulzar. The film deals with a sensitive topic maturely. It stays in its 'daayra', never goes overboard, and leaves us with a lot of questions. So, do watch it in a theatre near you because it is a must-watch!”

“Daayra is less interested in asking who committed the crime than in asking what we are willing to accept in the name of justice. It examines the uncomfortable space between law and morality, procedure and closure, patience and rage. It raises the right questions, even if its central confrontation needed sharper, more evenly matched arguments.”

“Daayra makes a persuasive case for itself. This film understands the pleasures of a slow burn. It is the kind of thriller best experienced in a cinema, where the silences, simmering tension and gradual escalation have room to work on you. It may not deliver equally on every front, but there is enough craft, atmosphere and dramatic pull here to make the ticket, and the time spent in the dark, feel well spent.”

“As a police procedural, Daayra makes for a compelling watch. It gets deep into the technicalities and feels like a studied, researched narrative. But oscillating between being a sociological study and a fast-paced thriller, Daayra, as it progresses, loses out on the human touch.”

“Well balanced, Meghna's sensible handling of a legal and ethical debate provides food for thought. But an open end where the director leaves you to take sides is a bit of a letdown, carrying with it the dissatisfaction of an unresolved conflict. Watchable, however, are all the actors especially the two leads.”

“What lends Gulzar's findings its complex appeal is, the more you mull on it, the more understandable their perspectives seem. One of the most internalised portrayals of Kareena's career, her calm, sarcastic, solution driven cop creates a distinct space from the melancholic officer in The Buckingham Murders and hot-headed policewoman in Angrezi Medium.”

“Overall, Daayra raises a question far more uncomfortable than the one it begins with: when the system itself becomes part of the story, where does justice really begin? The film has enough moral complexity to make that question linger, even if its trajectory and pace blunt some of its impact.”

“Meghna Gulzar's Daayra arguably falls into this very trap. Don't get us wrong. This isn't a clumsy film. It has its heart in the right place. It has a solid intent. It wants to spark a conversation. But the problem is that much of it gets lost under the weight of its own aspirations. By the end of it, the intent fizzles out.”

“While Gulzar is a competent screenwriter with a thoughtful approach to the themes of her material, her direction can often fall short. In particular, Gulzar's handling of her actors can be very hit-and-miss, and her staging is often uninspired, with heavy-handed directorial choices that undermine the film's more nuanced screenplay.”

“The film's story is not quite precise, it appears quite convoluted, and its screenplay is quite slow. In places it feels like the film has been dragged, some scenes become tedious. But on the whole the film can be called decent and it is a one-time watch.”

“Daayra has real things to say. The question is whether it says them with enough force. But it holds back where it should push forward. The personal stakes of its central character are underdeveloped. The final confrontation doesn't land the way it should.”

“On the whole, DAAYRA rests on an intriguing premise and strong performances by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, the stretched second half and, more importantly, the absence of a satisfying climax heavily dilute the overall impact.”

“The film belongs to the thriller-procedural drama category. The story is told in a nonlinear manner. The layered narrative keeps the viewer engaged in the film. Setting aside the moments where it slides into melodrama here and there, the film deserves applause for its treatment.”

“Daayra is not an easy watch. Its subject is disturbing, and the film does not completely hide the harsh reality surrounding the crime. It is a decent crime drama with good performances, but the uneven pacing keeps it from becoming a more memorable watch.”

“A morality tale with no moral compass of its own, Daayra continues director Meghna Gulzar's creative spiral after Raazi (2018). Daayra isn't a superhero movie where vigilante justice is permitted. It's a grounded drama about right and wrong, and the film's attempt to present two cops' duelling worldviews as equally rational is fundamentally misguided.”

“While the intent is clear in making this project that explores the boundaries of right and wrong, the execution falls flat.”

“Yet, despite this guise of a balanced, objective lens, the narrative subtly tips toward Raman, giving the impression that it is soft-pedaling the biases it sets out to critique. By granting Raman's deep frustration the heavier share of dramatic momentum and affective resonance, the film quietly validates the fury behind his lawless crusade, even as it pretends to document it merely.”