Meghna Gulzar On Daayra: "We Knew That Even 4 Years Later, It Would Be Relevant"

Meghna Gulzar had already decided to make Daayra when it came her way in 2020. But even then, the filmmaker felt the story would not lose its relevance with time. Four years later, as she began working on the film, that belief stayed unchanged.

"Daayra was actually sent my way by Junglee Pictures back in 2020, during the lockdown. It was a story whose intention grabbed me. Like, what was it trying to say, and why was it so important to say it? At that time, I knew that I was going to be making Sam Bahadur next, which I did. But we also knew, all of us, that even four years later, when I start making Daayra, it's still going to be relevant, unfortunately," Meghna told PTI in an interview.

Daayra looks at how the police, the legal system, and the public respond to a crime against women. It follows two senior police officers, played by Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran, who find themselves on different sides of a case while dealing with the same system.

For Meghna, the film is less about finding a simple right or wrong answer and more about looking at the grey areas.

"What Daayra tries to do is explore the greys because everything is not black and white. What may be justice for you, may be injustice for me; it depends on which side of the line we are standing on," she said.

The filmmaker has earlier explored institutions and investigations in films such as Talvar, Raazi, and Sam Bahadur. However, Meghna said she does not pick stories because they involve a particular institution.

"If the emotion in that story hooks me, it's an instant and completely instinctive choice to tell that story. It just so happens that it involves people in uniform, or it involves being true to life, or period. That was never intended. It's more coincidence than conscious planning."

While Daayra was earlier reported to be inspired by the 2019 Hyderabad rape case, Meghna clarified that the film brings together elements from several real cases across India. The story does not belong to one particular region or police force.

"'Daayra' is not based in a particular city, which is from South India or North India; it's completely region neutral. The characters are region neutral, because this is not the success or the failure of a particular police force of a particular state," she said.

The film took around two years of research and writing. Meghna said the team used different real cases to shape elements such as the criminal's motivation, public reaction, and the response of law enforcement, while keeping the story grounded.

The film also brings together actors from different industries, with Kareena and Prithviraj leading the cast. Meghna described both as instinctive performers.

Daayra, produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios, is set to hit cinemas on September 18.