With the main shooting done, Daayra is going into post-production, and is planned for a cinema release in 2026. It’s supported by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios, and is an important collaboration between a director who is known for films that make you think, and two actors who are good at showing a lot of different things, and have a strong presence on screen. It also goes on with Gulzar’s work with Junglee after Talvar and Raazi.
The film looks at how one awful thing can start off equal, but opposite, effects – splitting what people think, and putting people’s beliefs to the test. Instead of giving easy answers, the film goes for uncertainty, making people think about hard questions.
Gulzar brings to the story her usual care and exactness in telling it, getting the details of the police work right and also showing the emotional side. The story should be clever and interesting, and also quietly upsetting, as you’d expect from this director, who is good at making dramas that are about the people in them, and make you think.
For Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, Daayra is the first time they’ve worked together; and what little has been said so far suggests they both give performances that are subtle and held back. A strong group of other actors makes the film even better, adding different points of view to a world that is very complicated in terms of what is right and wrong.
When the end of shooting was announced, the people making the film thanked the actors and the crew for months of hard work, imagination, and working together, and said that the team was now turning to the next part of the job. With the shooting finished, post-production will give the film its feel, its look, and the details of the police investigation.
Being released in 2026 will give Daayra time for careful editing and sound, which are important for a crime drama that builds up slowly, where the mood and speed are what make it have an effect. The timing also means the film will be a main event in the list of Hindi films coming out.
Marking 25 years in the business, Kareena said she was pleased to be directed by Meghna Gulzar, whose work she had liked for years. Working with Prithviraj on a brave and thought-provoking story was a dream for her.
She also said that Daayra would give a cinema experience that would challenge and give people something to think about, showing that she still wants to take on important roles that cause discussion. Her recent part in Singham Again showed she is good at a lot of different types of film.
Prithviraj, who was in Vilayath Buddha this year, brings good feelings and seriousness to the world of crime drama. His being in the film with Kareena adds appeal from across the film industries, and makes people in many languages and areas more interested.
Gulzar’s films set a clear standard. Talvar showed the exactness of science in a real-life investigation; Raazi put together spying with personal drama; and Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur showed her care for people who have suffered, and for history. Daayra looks set to bring all these together.
In terms of its feel, you can expect a careful look at police work, with questions of what is right and wrong at its heart. The film seems to be about a story where what happens and what people do are felt in the authorities and in people’s homes; and to make people sit with feeling bad, rather than looking for easy relief.
For Hindi cinema, Daayra shows how much people want better thrillers that think their audience is clever. Clever, layered storytelling – with the best actors – goes on making people want to go to the cinema, and to talk about the film after it comes out.
As Daayra goes through post-production, people can look forward to first pictures from the film, a short video that shows the mood of the police work, and a longer trailer that shows the main problem. Official news from the film and the companies making it will come out nearer the time of release.
With the shooting finished and people getting more and more interested, Daayra stands out as a 2026 crime thriller to look out for – clever, seeing what’s happening in society, and made strong by the skills of Meghna Gulzar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
