Meghna Gulzar on 'Daayra': Chaos is a filmmaker's best friend
Synopsis
Meghna Gulzar says chaos is a filmmaker's best friend — and that no film, fiction or fact-based, can be made without deep emotional investment. Her remarks, made during promotions for 'Daayra', offer a rare look at the human cost of directing actors through emotionally raw scenes.
Key Takeaways
Meghna Gulzar spoke about her creative philosophy during promotions for 'Daayra' in Andheri West, Mumbai .
She described chaos as a filmmaker's 'best friend', saying teams overcome it together.
Gulzar revealed that actors have continued crying long after she called 'cut', completing their emotional cycle on their own. 'Daayra' stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran and is inspired by true events.
The film is a crime thriller exploring justice, power, and systemic grey zones, and is currently playing in cinemas.
Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, who has directed the recently released crime thriller 'Daayra' starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, says embracing chaos is not just inevitable on a film set — it is essential. Speaking during the promotional circuit for the film in Andheri West, Mumbai, Gulzar offered a candid window into her creative philosophy and the emotional demands she places on herself and her cast.
On Chaos and Craft
'Chaos has to be your best friend because there is no film set without chaos,' Gulzar said. 'But, the good part is that we know how to overcome it as a team. And that's all that matters.' The remark reflects a working style that has defined her career across films rooted in real events and morally complex narratives — a body of work that prizes restraint and emotional precision over spectacle.
When Actors Don't Stop After 'Cut'
Gulzar also spoke about witnessing actors carry emotional weight well beyond the moment the camera stops rolling. 'I have actually experienced actors who, if they've had to break down in a scene and they have broken down and I have called cut, they have not stopped crying,' she said. 'They have continued to break down till they have relieved their emotional cycle completely. It has happened in several of my films.'
She added that such moments test her own composure as a director. 'At that point, even though I'm completely objective and unemotional as a filmmaker on set, I've only wanted to go and hold my actor because then the human being in you takes over,' she said. 'I don't think any cinema, whether it is based on true life or it is fiction, you can't go through it without investing emotionally. You can't. It will show up in the director's work, it will show up in the actor's work.'
About 'Daayra'
'Daayra' is inspired by true events and unfolds as a crime thriller that places Kareena Kapoor Khan in a morally conflicted, layered role exploring themes of justice, power, and systemic ambiguity. The film aligns Kareena's stated preference for content-driven characters with Gulzar's signature issue-oriented, restrained storytelling approach. Prithviraj Sukumaran co-stars in a significant role alongside her.
The film is currently in cinemas. Given Gulzar's track record with real-event adaptations, audience and critical attention will focus on how faithfully — and boldly — 'Daayra' navigates the grey zones it sets out to explore.
Point of View
Built on real-event adaptations, has consistently demanded that kind of investment. The more interesting question 'Daayra' raises is whether mainstream Hindi cinema's audience has caught up with the morally unresolved narratives Gulzar prefers, or whether the box office will once again reward the spectacle over the substance she resists.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Daayra' about?
'Daayra' is a crime thriller inspired by true events, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan in a morally conflicted role that explores justice, power, and systemic grey zones. Prithviraj Sukumaran co-stars, and the film is directed by Meghna Gulzar. It is currently playing in cinemas.
What did Meghna Gulzar say about chaos on film sets?
Gulzar said chaos has to be a filmmaker's best friend because no film set is without it. She added that what matters is a team's ability to overcome it together, describing this as central to her working style.
How does Meghna Gulzar handle actors who get emotionally overwhelmed on set?
Gulzar said she has witnessed actors continue crying long after she called cut, completing their emotional cycle on their own. She noted that in those moments, the human being in her takes over and she wants to comfort the actor, even while remaining objective as a director.
Who stars in 'Daayra' and who directed it?
'Daayra' is directed by Meghna Gulzar and stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film blends Kareena's preference for layered, content-driven characters with Gulzar's restrained, issue-oriented storytelling.
Is emotional investment necessary for filmmaking, according to Meghna Gulzar?
Yes. Gulzar stated that no film — whether fiction or based on real life — can be made without emotional investment. She said it will inevitably show up in both the director's and the actor's work if that investment is absent.
