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What is the story about?
Rating: 3 and half out of 5
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jitendra Joshi, Kanwaljeet Singh and more
In Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra, the cop-versus-cop setup promises a meeting of equals, but the film gradually slips into Prithviraj Sukumaran’s trajectory. He brings a quiet and simmering intensity to the role, never pushing for the loudness and tone of a typical police officer, yet giving the thriller much of its dramatic intensity. Kareena Kapoor Khan, on the other hand, plays the righteous cop, but her performance never quite finds a hold, and she kind of underplays her role. She has shown considerably brilliant performances in the past.
The film may belong to both its stars, but Sukumaran undoubtedly commands it. After Kareena’s performances in Jaane Jaan and The Buckingham Murders, one expects more from her, but here the character remains unusually controlled, as if she is holding onto something.
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.
The build-up keeps you engaged, and for much of its running time, the film knows how to hold your attention without constantly demanding it. And why do I call it a cop vs cop thriller is because it isn’t a cop versus criminal thriller; rather, it is a fight of differing ideologies between two different cops.
DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) both have very different ideologies. Daayra is built around two formidable cops, and the story is engaging too, which gives both characters considerable space to grow. But it is Sukumaran alone who travels the greater distance and adds layers to his role. The film ultimately becomes Prithviraj Sukumaran’s territory. That imbalance becomes increasingly apparent as the film progresses
Kareena Kapoor never quite acquires the spark one expects. She has particularly set a high bar for herself with her previous performances. Here, however, her performance feels hugely predictable, as though the role never gives her enough room to find the texture or zing that could have made the character truly memorable.
I hate to run down the performance of an actor like her. But I didn’t quite understand why she had a silly grin throughout her performance, and also the flirtatious and playful tone didn’t go down well and kind of diluted the seriousness of the role and the case that she was fighting for.
However, we cannot deny the craft of Meghna Gulzar as a director. She has indeed made a career out of finding the human drama inside difficult, real-world stories. Talvar had the cold, unsettling precision of a crime investigation; Raazi turned espionage into an intimate moral drama; Sam Bahadur approached history through character rather than spectacle.
Daayra too is inspired by a true story. The story of the film is undoubtedly sombre, which shows the kidnapping of young women, sexual violence, juvenile crime and police encounters, but Meghna Gulzar does not treat it as sensational fodder. Instead, she lets the unease accumulate. This movie is a slow burn, deliberately withholding its dramatic fireworks while building a web of suspicion around its characters.
The patience is occasionally demanding, but it also gives the film its grip, and the build-up is brilliant, and it doesn’t bore you even for a minute. For those who followed the December 6, 2019 Hyderabad encounter closely, Daayra carries an unmistakable familiarity. I was following the case at the time, and having now watched the film, it is difficult not to notice the echoes. That gives the film a relevance that extends beyond the screen and calls for an urgent watch.
Audiences contemplating where to spend their weekend entertainment budget may find Daayra offering more than a conventional crime thriller. It is a film that holds your attention and makes you ask uncomfortable questions. This film stays with you and makes you think about the quiet tension between law and conscience!
‘Daayra’ is releasing on September 18 in cinema halls across the country.
Also Read: Theatre releases this week: Daayra, Vibe, Love Lottery and more at the cinemas
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jitendra Joshi, Kanwaljeet Singh and more
In Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra, the cop-versus-cop setup promises a meeting of equals, but the film gradually slips into Prithviraj Sukumaran’s trajectory. He brings a quiet and simmering intensity to the role, never pushing for the loudness and tone of a typical police officer, yet giving the thriller much of its dramatic intensity. Kareena Kapoor Khan, on the other hand, plays the righteous cop, but her performance never quite finds a hold, and she kind of underplays her role. She has shown considerably brilliant performances in the past.
The film may belong to both its stars, but Sukumaran undoubtedly commands it. After Kareena’s performances in Jaane Jaan and The Buckingham Murders, one expects more from her, but here the character remains unusually controlled, as if she is holding onto something.
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.
The build-up keeps you engaged, and for much of its running time, the film knows how to hold your attention without constantly demanding it. And why do I call it a cop vs cop thriller is because it isn’t a cop versus criminal thriller; rather, it is a fight of differing ideologies between two different cops.
DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) both have very different ideologies. Daayra is built around two formidable cops, and the story is engaging too, which gives both characters considerable space to grow. But it is Sukumaran alone who travels the greater distance and adds layers to his role. The film ultimately becomes Prithviraj Sukumaran’s territory. That imbalance becomes increasingly apparent as the film progresses
Kareena Kapoor never quite acquires the spark one expects. She has particularly set a high bar for herself with her previous performances. Here, however, her performance feels hugely predictable, as though the role never gives her enough room to find the texture or zing that could have made the character truly memorable.
I hate to run down the performance of an actor like her. But I didn’t quite understand why she had a silly grin throughout her performance, and also the flirtatious and playful tone didn’t go down well and kind of diluted the seriousness of the role and the case that she was fighting for.
However, we cannot deny the craft of Meghna Gulzar as a director. She has indeed made a career out of finding the human drama inside difficult, real-world stories. Talvar had the cold, unsettling precision of a crime investigation; Raazi turned espionage into an intimate moral drama; Sam Bahadur approached history through character rather than spectacle.
Daayra too is inspired by a true story. The story of the film is undoubtedly sombre, which shows the kidnapping of young women, sexual violence, juvenile crime and police encounters, but Meghna Gulzar does not treat it as sensational fodder. Instead, she lets the unease accumulate. This movie is a slow burn, deliberately withholding its dramatic fireworks while building a web of suspicion around its characters.
The patience is occasionally demanding, but it also gives the film its grip, and the build-up is brilliant, and it doesn’t bore you even for a minute. For those who followed the December 6, 2019 Hyderabad encounter closely, Daayra carries an unmistakable familiarity. I was following the case at the time, and having now watched the film, it is difficult not to notice the echoes. That gives the film a relevance that extends beyond the screen and calls for an urgent watch.
Audiences contemplating where to spend their weekend entertainment budget may find Daayra offering more than a conventional crime thriller. It is a film that holds your attention and makes you ask uncomfortable questions. This film stays with you and makes you think about the quiet tension between law and conscience!
‘Daayra’ is releasing on September 18 in cinema halls across the country.
Also Read: Theatre releases this week: Daayra, Vibe, Love Lottery and more at the cinemas
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