The Hindi crime drama Daayra has landed in theatres with a muted thud, and the early returns from its opening weekend tell a story that is anything but triumphant. Released on September 18, 2026, the Meghna Gulzar-directed film - headlined by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran - has failed to generate the kind of momentum that usually accompanies a star-studded September tentpole. Trade circles are already whispering the two words no filmmaker wants to hear in the same breath as a big-name release: box office disappointment.

This is not the start anyone at the production house would have scripted. A film boasting Kapoor Khan's return to the screen as a hard-nosed police officer, paired with Sukumaran's reputation for picking intense, morally complicated roles, should have opened to a roar. Instead, the roar has been closer to a whimper, and the question now is whether Daayra can claw its way back from the brink or whether it is destined to be remembered as one of 2026's most baffling misfires.

A Slow Start That Raises Uncomfortable Questions

The opening day figures were soft, and the weekend did little to repair the damage. Collections have remained stubbornly below expectations, with occupancy rates in key urban centres ranging from mediocre to outright poor. For a film that reportedly carries a substantial budget and the weight of two major stars, this is a concerning trajectory.

What makes the situation more puzzling is the timing. September 2026 has been relatively kind to adult-skewing dramas, and Daayra had a clear runway with no major Hindi release challenging it directly in its first week. That advantage appears to have been squandered.

Distributors in the North Indian belt, traditionally the strongest market for Hindi crime dramas, have reportedly expressed frustration. One exhibitor, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the footfalls as "lower than what we saw for mid-budget films with no stars last month". That is a damning comparison for a project of this pedigree.

What Exactly Is Daayra About?

For those unfamiliar with the premise, Daayra centres on Raman, a police officer whose history is stained by staged encounters and allegations of brutality. His world is upended when Ajooni, a fellow DCP, begins challenging his methods at every turn. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game that the film's marketing positioned as a gritty, morally grey procedural.

The cast is impressive on paper. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, while Prithviraj Sukumaran essays DCP Raman Kumar. They are supported by Kshitee Jog as Parvati, Jitendra Joshi as Inspector Karad, Biswapati Sarkar as Commissioner Prakash Anand, Sandesh Kulkarni as Vasu, Pragati Mishra as Ragini, and Brij Bhushan Shukla as Inspector Bala.

Genre-wise, it sits firmly in crime and drama territory - a space Meghna Gulzar has navigated before with considerable skill. Her reputation for crafting taut, research-heavy narratives should have been a selling point. Yet the numbers suggest audiences have not been convinced.

The Critical and Audience Divide

Reviews have been mixed to negative, with several prominent critics arguing that the film's 141-minute runtime sags under the weight of its own self-importance. The central conflict between Raman and Ajooni, which should crackle with tension, has been described in some quarters as repetitive rather than riveting.

Audience word-of-mouth has been equally unkind. Social media chatter, while not uniformly hostile, lacks the organic enthusiasm that drives a film into its second week. There is no viral moment, no standout sequence that has captured the public imagination. For a movie that relies on star power and director pedigree, that absence is glaring.

The TMDb rating currently sits at 0/10 based on early user data - a figure that, while not statistically reliable this soon after release, reflects a distinct lack of positive engagement from the online community that typically tracks new releases.

The Bigger Picture for Kareena Kapoor Khan

This is not the first time Kapoor Khan has taken a risk on a female-led procedural. Her filmography in recent years has veered toward darker, more complex material, and Daayra was positioned as a continuation of that evolution. A commercial failure here does not diminish her standing as an actor, but it does raise questions about the kind of projects that can attract audiences to theatres in an era of streaming fatigue.

Sukumaran, for his part, has been on a remarkable run in both Malayalam and Hindi cinema. A setback of this magnitude is unlikely to derail him, but it reinforces the unpredictable nature of the Hindi market for even the most bankable performers.

What Happens Next?

The coming week will be decisive. With no major holiday window immediately ahead, Daayra must rely almost entirely on positive word-of-mouth to stay afloat. If collections continue to slide, exhibitors will begin reducing shows, which effectively seals a film's fate in the current landscape.

There is still a slim possibility of a turnaround. Occasionally, crime dramas find their audience after a muted opening, particularly if they perform strongly in the digital space. But that is the exception, not the rule.

For now, the honest assessment is this: Daayra is neither the hit its makers hoped for nor the catastrophe its harshest critics are claiming. It is something arguably worse for a star vehicle - a film that has simply failed to matter. And in the high-stakes game of Telugu and Hindi box office, irrelevance is the one outcome no one recovers from.

Source: Filmibeat Telugu