Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has revealed that the seed for her upcoming crime thriller 'Daayra', starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kareena Kapoor Khan, was planted during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 — a period she spent at her village home. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on 18 September 2026, produced by Vineet Jain under the banner of Junglee Pictures.

How the Idea Reached Meghna Gulzar

Speaking during the film's promotional events in the Andheri West area of Mumbai, Gulzar recalled the precise moment the project arrived. 'Actually, the idea was sent my way in 2020. I still remember where I was. I was at my village home and there was a lockdown because of Covid-19. And it was a story written over a few pages. The idea had come from Junglee Pictures,' she said.

The pitch was brief — just a few pages — but it resonated immediately, she indicated. The themes it explored felt urgent and, crucially, timeless.

Why She Waited Four Years to Make It

At the time the idea reached her, Gulzar was already deep into pre-production on 'Sam Bahadur', her biopic on India's war hero starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead role. Rather than shelve 'Daayra', both she and Junglee Pictures agreed to defer it. 'And yet, it grabbed me because the issues that it talks about are so prevalent and we, even Junglee Pictures and I, we both knew that I will be making Sam Bahadur next. And we were okay to make it after four years because we knew that it's not going to get outdated even after four years,' Gulzar explained.

That confidence in the material's longevity — rooted in its social relevance — is a hallmark of Gulzar's filmmaking philosophy, evident across her body of work.

What 'Daayra' Is About

'Daayra' is a crime thriller built around a socially grounded narrative that probes justice, power, and systemic grey zones. Kareena Kapoor Khan reportedly plays a morally complex character navigating these contradictions — a departure from conventional roles and consistent with her recent tilt toward content-driven, layered performances. Prithviraj Sukumaran, known for his range across Malayalam and Hindi cinema, co-leads the film.

The project marks a significant creative convergence: Kareena's evolving screen choices meet Gulzar's restrained, issue-oriented directorial style — the same approach that defined 'Talvar' (2015), 'Raazi' (2018), and 'Sam Bahadur' (2023).

Significance of the Collaboration

For Gulzar, 'Daayra' extends a consistent thematic thread — films that interrogate institutions, morality, and the human cost of systemic failures. Notably, each of her previous features has drawn on real or socially documented events, lending them a documentary-like weight. Whether 'Daayra' follows that tradition or ventures into original fiction will be closely watched by critics and audiences alike.

With its 18 September 2026 release date, the film enters a competitive theatrical window. All eyes are now on how Gulzar translates a five-year-old idea — born in lockdown isolation — into a cinematic statement for post-pandemic India.