Daayra Is Not Based On One Case, Meghna Gulzar Clarifies

Meghna Gulzar has clarified that Daayra, her upcoming crime thriller starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is not a direct adaptation of the 2019 Hyderabad rape-and-murder case. Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Mumbai, the filmmaker said the team studied several real-life cases while developing the story.

Inspired By Multiple Cases

Meghna explained that the film explores several sensitive issues that occur across India. Basing the story on just one case, she said, would have made the film’s perspective too restrictive. Instead, the team looked for a common emotional, criminal and judicial thread across different cases and blended those elements into the narrative.

Kareena And Prithviraj Play Police Officers

Kareena Kapoor Khan plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, while Prithviraj Sukumaran portrays DCP Raman Kumar. The trailer sets up a conflict between the two officers, who have contrasting ideas about justice and how the law should respond to a controversial crime.

The Hyderabad Case Was Only One Point Of Comparison

The 2019 Hyderabad case involved the rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinary doctor, followed by the controversial police encounter in which four accused men were killed. While Daayra has been linked to the case since its early development, Meghna has now made it clear that the film isn’t intended to retell that specific incident.

A Story About Justice And Its Grey Areas

The film appears to explore the complicated space between law, justice and public sentiment. Rather than presenting a straightforward crime story, Daayra places its central characters on opposing sides of a difficult moral question.

KnowBuddys Take

Daayra may have echoes of real cases, but Meghna Gulzar wants audiences to look beyond one headline. By drawing from multiple incidents, the film seems to be asking a bigger question: where does justice end and revenge begin?