Daayra film review: Between the bullet and the bench

CHENNAI: There is nothing purely black or white when it comes to justice. Daayra builds its entire conflict around this idea. The film opens with people celebrating an encounter carried out by DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), in which men accused of murdering and gang-raping a girl are killed. The premise bears similarities to the 2019 Telangana encounter, with a press conference scene later in the film appearing to recreate the one held by the police officer who led the operation. Meanwhile, another DCP, Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor), takes up the case amid suspicions surrounding the encounter killings.

Daayra is an intense crime thriller that unfolds through two parallel tracks — one tracing the events leading to the encounter and the other following the investigation into it. Meghna Gulzar handles the unconventional narrative structure well, weaving in references to several such crimes that frequently make headlines.

The film also draws from the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case, which led to significant legal and social outcomes. In one striking exchange, Ajooni responds to a colleague who says the system has changed since the Delhi incident. “The system has changed, but not the people,” she says. The dialogue captures the film’s central question: what happens when people lose faith in the judicial process and take the law into their own hands?

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. The director explores the trauma, personal struggles and reactions of those caught in the aftermath, keeping the narrative engaging beyond the central incident. The film also uses moments of sarcastic humour, offering some much-needed relief from its otherwise heavy subject. Importantly, the humour emerges naturally from the characters and their situations, without diluting the film's intensity.

Kareena and Prithivraj do justice to their respective roles. The characters navigate a range of conflicting emotions and intense chase sequences, with the entire cast delivering convincing performances throughout.

Coming to Amit Trivedi’s music, unlike the loud background scores often associated with crime thrillers, his restrained approach enhances the emotional weight of the story.

What the film fails to explore adequately, however, are the personal lives of its lead characters. Raman Kumar’s family gets very little screen time, leaving the audience with limited insight into his life beyond his profession. Ajooni Kohli, meanwhile, has her own battle as she seeks justice for her father, a judge. This subplot offers some understanding of her commitment to the judicial process, but it is not developed enough to establish her motivations. The jail scene introducing her character also feels out of place.

But, overall, Daayra is an engaging and gritty crime thriller that effectively presents two contrasting approaches to justice through the two cops: Raman Kumar, who believes in delivering justice by eliminating criminals, and Ajooni Kohli, who chooses to pursue it through the judicial system and due process. Despite being led by two major stars, the film keeps Prithviraj and Kareena apart for most of its runtime, with the two sharing the screen only in the climax. Even then, Meghna Gulzar refrains from providing a definitive answer. They walk away in different directions, leaving the audience to decide which approach they agree with. And that brings the film back to its central thought — there is nothing purely black or white when it comes to justice.