Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s upcoming film Daayra has already created enough curiosity, and after the trailer, it is clear that this is not going to be a straightforward cop thriller. 

Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film brings Kareena and Prithviraj together for the first time as two police officers who find themselves on opposite sides of a complicated case. What makes the premise interesting is that the conflict is not simply about catching a criminal. It is about how far the law can go in the pursuit of justice.

Kareena plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, a police officer determined to investigate the truth, while Prithviraj plays DCP Raman Kumar. The trailer suggests that their characters have very different ideas about how the system should work, giving the film a strong face-off at its centre.

For Kareena, Daayra also feels like an interesting continuation of the choices she has been making as an actor. There is no attempt to make Ajooni a conventional Bollywood heroine. She is presented as a cop first, and the intensity of the character comes from her investigation and conviction rather than glamour.

Prithviraj, meanwhile, brings a completely different energy to the film. Their first collaboration is easily one of Daayra’s biggest attractions, particularly because neither actor appears to be playing second fiddle to the other.

But the biggest reason to be excited is Meghna Gulzar. After films like Talvar and Raazi, Gulzar has established a distinctive space for herself with stories rooted in real-world conflicts and difficult questions. Daayra, inspired by true events, seems to continue that approach while putting crime, punishment, accountability and justice under the microscope.

The film is directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios. Daayra releases in theatres on September 18, 2026.