Meghna Gulzar puts two completely different ideas of justice against each other — and the debate is the film's biggest strength. Daayra may not have all the answers, but it makes you ask the right questions.
Every time Meghna Gulzar makes a film, there is excitement among film lovers. She has given us films like Talvar and Raazi, and she has consistently chosen stories that make you think beyond the film itself. So naturally, expectations are high with Daayra.
The trailer tells you pretty much what to expect — one crime, two senior cops, two very different ways of looking at justice, and a clash of ideologies.
The film begins with DCP Raman Kumar, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, being celebrated after an encounter in which he and his team kill four men accused of raping and murdering a young girl. Raman is a cop who believes in putting together a strong team, giving an investigation his time and dedication, and doing whatever it takes to solve a case.
But the encounter is immediately questioned. Was this justice or was it an extrajudicial killing?
That's where DCP Ajooni Kohli, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, comes in.
Ajooni believes the police have a very clear responsibility — investigate, find the truth, present the evidence before the judiciary and then allow the justice system to take its course. She has faith in the law and the institutions that are supposed to deliver justice.
And this is clearly the heart of Daayra.
Meghna puts two completely different ways of looking at justice against each other. One comes from the frustration of seeing cases drag on for years, families waiting endlessly and loopholes being exploited. The other comes from the belief that no matter how broken or slow the system may seem, the police cannot simply decide who deserves to live or die. The film makes you sit between these two arguments and decide where you stand.
And there is plenty here that will make you angry.
The trauma of the victim's family. The amount of time cases can take in court. Loopholes that can be exploited. Juvenile law. Accused people getting bail and spending substantial periods outside prison. These are all issues that audiences are familiar with, and Daayra brings them into the story to make you question what justice actually means.
There will be people who watch this film and say, "What else could the police have done?" And there will be others who will say, "That's exactly why we have a judiciary." That debate is the film's biggest strength.
But I also felt that the film, at times, seems to lean towards one side of that argument. There are moments that can leave you feeling that the extrajudicial killing was perhaps the only possible answer. And that's where I had a problem. In a country that has a legal system and a judiciary, that is a complicated position for a film to take, especially when it is presenting itself as a debate between two opposing ideologies.
Interestingly, Daayra doesn't necessarily give you a definitive answer. It makes you ask the questions — and that's always a good thing.
The problem for me is that the trailer almost tells you the entire film. Once you know the central conflict, there aren't too many surprises left. The investigation, the crime and the ideological battle are all visible from the beginning.
Yet, surprisingly, the film works better when you're sitting in the theatre than it does when you're thinking about the overall structure. The atmosphere, performances and subject keep you invested even when you know where the story is heading.
Prithviraj Sukumaran is phenomenal. He brings a certain authority and conviction to Raman, and you understand why this character believes so strongly in his approach. The film needs you to understand his anger and frustration, and Prithviraj makes that happen.
Kareena Kapoor Khan has nailed this one. From the look to the body language and the way she speaks, she completely disappears into Ajooni. You don't see Kareena the star here. You see Kareena the actor. That's not easy for someone as recognisable as her, and it works beautifully.
But when you leave the theatre, there is a feeling that Daayra could have offered more. Meghna Gulzar has chosen an extremely important subject. She puts a very relevant debate on screen and gives us two sides that audiences will have strong opinions about. But considering the filmmaker behind it and the calibre of the actors, I wanted the film to go deeper and leave a stronger impact.
The background score and production are good; the film looks good visually as well.
Daayra may not have all the answers, but it does something valuable — it makes you question the system, question justice and question what happens when faith in the system begins to disappear.
And sometimes, making the audience leave the theatre with questions is a pretty good reason to make a film.
3 stars out of 5.