| Daayra | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Meghna Gulzar |
| Produced by | Vineet Jain Dhaval Gada |
| Written by | Meghna Gulzar Sima Agarwal Yash Keswani |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Score: Ketan Sodha |
| Cinematography | Saurabh Goswami |
| Edited by | Charu Shree Roy Meghna Gulzar |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Pen Marudhar |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Daayra (transl. Circle) is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film co-written and directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vineet Jain and Dhaval Jain under the banners of Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios. The film stars Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles.
Inspired by true event, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on 18 September 2026.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Kareena Kapoor as DCP Ajooni Kohli IPS
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as DCP Raman Kumar IPS
- Biswapati Sarkar
- Jitendra Joshi
- Kanwaljit Singh
- Pragati Mishra
- Prammod Sanghi
- Mounis Ratta
- Sumali Khaniwale
- Upendra Chauhan
- Kshitee Jog
- Trupti Khamkar
- Satish Badal
- Ashiesh Bist
- Ashutosh Sohan
Production[edit | edit source]
Development[edit | edit source]
In 2020 Meghna Gulzar was approached to make the film, even before Sam Bahadur.[1][2] In April 2025, it was announced that Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran would star in a crime-thriller directed by Meghna Gulzar. [3] Initially Ayushmann Khurrana and then Sidharth Malhotra were both considered for the male lead, but both exited from the project due to scheduling conflicts.[4][5][6] Several news sources reported that the film is based on 2019 Hyderabad case.[7][8] But Meghna Gulzar said that the "film does not draw its perspective from just one incident, instead the team looked at several cases while developing the story."[9][10]
Filming[edit | edit source]
Principal photography commenced on 25 September 2025.[11] Filming concluded on 26 December 2025.[12]
Marketing[edit | edit source]
A trailer of the film was unveiled on 31 August 2026.[13]
Soundtrack[edit | edit source]
Meghna Gulzar revealed that the film would feature no songs, as Gulzar felt that the screenplay did not provide scope for musical sequences.[14] Her father, lyricist Gulzar, confirmed the decision, stating that she believed songs would disrupt the narrative flow and instead chose to retain the story's established tone.[15]
Release[edit | edit source]
The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on 18 September 2026, [16] coincidencing box office clash with Khemu's brother-in-law's wife starrer Vibe.[17]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Panchamatia, Komal. "'What May Be Justice For You May Be Injustice For Me'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
- ↑ "Knew that the story of 'Daayra' will always be relevant, says Meghna Gulzar". Hindustan Times. 2026-09-02. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑
- "Kareena Kapoor Khan, Prithviraj Sukumaran to star in Meghna Gulzar's crime-drama 'Daayra'". The Hindu. 2025-04-14. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- Fernandes, Shefali (2026-07-29). "'Two Sides, One Truth': Kareena Kapoor Khan, Prithviraj Sukumaran Hint At Twisted Mystery In Meghna Gulzar's Daayra Poster". The Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- Sharma, Riya (14 April 2025). "Kareena Kapoor announces Daayra with 'dream team' Prithviraj Sukumaran, Meghna Gulzar; fans call it 'GOAT combination'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- T, Sachin (2025-04-14). "Is Kareena Kapoor Khan & Prithviraj Sukumaran's Daayra Based On 2019 Hyderabad Rape Case?". The Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Agarwal, Bhavna (11 April 2024). "Exclusive: Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran teams up with Kareena in Meghna Gulzar's next". India Today. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Basu, Sreetama (11 May 2024). "Kareena Kapoor's Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board". NDTV. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "Kareena Kapoor Khan – Ayushmann Khurrana in talks for Meghna Gulzar's next Daayra inspired from 2019 Hyderabad rape case: Report". Bollywood Hungama. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Jha, Subhash K (2026-08-31). "'Daayra' Inspired by 2019 Hyderabad Rape-Murder". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Narain, Yatamanyu (2026-08-31). "Kareena Kapoor's Daayra Based On Hyderabad Rape-Murder Case? Meghna Gulzar Says 'We Looked At Many Cases'". News18. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Fernandes, Shefali (2026-08-31). "Is Kareena Kapoor Khan's Daayra Inspired By 2019 Hyderabad Rape-Murder Case? Meghna Gulzar Says Film Draws From 'Many Cases'". The Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Cyril, Grace (2026-08-31). "Daayra Explained: Is Kareena Kapoor-Prithviraj Sukumaran's Film Based On The 2019 Hyderabad Rape-Murder Case?". News18. Archived from the original on 2026-08-31. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Khan, Lubna (25 September 2025). "Daayra: Kareena Kapoor Begins Filming With Prithviraj And Meghna Gulzar, Shares BTS Glimpses". News18. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "Daayra movie: Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj wrap shooting for Meghna Gulzar's crime-drama". The Hindu. 26 December 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ Maru, Vibha (2026-08-31). "Daayra trailer: Kareena Kapoor probes Prithviraj's encounter killings as Meghna Gulzar explores law vs justice". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ Seta, Fenil (2026-02-21). "Gulzar reveals that Kareena Kapoor Khan-Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer Daayra will be a SONG-LESS flick: "Meghna said that her script doesn't allow for any songs"". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Tanmayi, Bhawana (2026-02-11). "Meghna Gulzar reveals there are no songs in Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kareena Kapoor's Daayra". Moneycontrol. Archived from the original on 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑
- "'Daayra': Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran's crime-thriller gets release date". The Hindu. 18 June 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- Awasthi, Pragati (19 June 2026). "Kareena Kapoor's Daayra: Meghna Gulzar's film to release in September; cast, BTS scenes and more". Wion. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- "Kareena Kapoor Khan-Prithviraj starrer Daayra gets release date". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- "Kareena Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran unite for Meghna Gulzar's crime thriller Daayra". The Indian Express. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Das, Garima (2026-09-01). "Kareena Kapoor Reacts To Daayra Vs Vibe Box Office Clash: 'I Will Be Very Happy If Both Films Do Well'". Outlook India. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Daayra on IMDb
- Daayra at Bollywood Hungama