Daayra OTT Release Date: Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Crime Thriller Lands on Netflix November 13

Four suspects in a brutal rape-and-murder case are dead before they ever reach a courtroom. The police call it self-defence. The public calls it justice. One officer is not so sure. That is the question at the heart of Daayra, and after a quiet run in cinemas, the film now gets a second shot at finding its audience on Netflix.

Daayra OTT release date and platform

Netflix has already put up a title page for Daayra, describing it as a provocative, gritty slow-burn thriller about a rogue cop. The streaming date comes almost eight weeks after the theatrical release, which is the standard window for Hindi films that play in national multiplex chains.

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What is Daayra about?

The film opens with a shocking rape-and-murder case that grips the country. Soon after, the four men accused of the crime are killed while in police custody. The official story is that it was a lawful operation. DCP Ajooni Kohli (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is brought in to find out whether that is true, or whether the encounter was a calculated move dressed up as justice.

Her investigation puts her on a collision course with DCP Raman Kumar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), the officer whose actions are now under public scrutiny. What follows is less a whodunit and more a tense moral argument between two people who both believe they are on the right side.

Several reports have pointed out how closely the premise echoes the 2019 Hyderabad encounter case, in which four men accused of the rape and murder of a young veterinarian were shot dead by police. The film itself does not claim to be a retelling of any single real event.

Daayra cast and characters

• Kareena Kapoor Khan as DCP Ajooni Kohli, the investigating officer
• Prithviraj Sukumaran as DCP Raman Kumar, the officer at the centre of the encounter
• Jitendra Joshi, known for Sacred Games
• Biswapati Sarkar, the TVF writer and actor
• Kanwaljit Singh, Achint Kaur, Seema Azmi and Kshitee Jog in supporting roles

This is Kareena’s first collaboration with Meghna Gulzar, the director behind Talvar, Raazi and Sam Bahadur. It also continues her run of grittier roles after Jaane Jaan on Netflix.

Why did Daayra struggle in theatres?

Daayra got mixed reviews from critics and failed to pull crowds at the box office. Serious, slow-burn courtroom-and-procedural films have had a hard time in cinemas lately, especially when audiences know they can watch them at home in a few weeks. Films like this often find a much bigger audience on OTT, where viewers are more willing to try a heavy subject on a weeknight.

If you want our full take, read our Daayra movie review.

The music: Sach Ka Daayra

The film’s main track, Sach Ka Daayra, brings together B Praak’s voice, Amit Trivedi’s music and lyrics by Gulzar, the director’s father. It is a haunting song that sets the film’s tone better than any trailer cut.

Frequently asked questions

Watch the official Daayra trailer on YouTube.