Image Credit: Junglee Pictures / Pen Studios — Official Trailer/Poster via YouTube
Daayra on Netflix is now a reality. Meghna Gulzar’s crime thriller, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran as two police officers on opposite sides of the same case, begins streaming on Netflix today, Friday 13 November 2026. Netflix confirmed the date itself earlier this week, posting “Watch Daayra, out 13 November, on Netflix”, and the film is now live on the platform for subscribers in India.
It is the second chance this film has been waiting for. Daayra earned praise for its performances and its courage when it released in cinemas in September, but its serious subject kept most viewers away on opening weekend. Streaming is where a film like this usually finds its real audience, and from today, anyone with a Netflix subscription can watch it at home. Here is everything you need to know about Daayra on Netflix, including the story, the cast, the trailer and how to watch it.
Daayra on Netflix: What Is Streaming Today
Daayra on Netflix arrives today, 13 November 2026, as a Netflix exclusive in India. The film released in cinemas on 18 September 2026 in Hindi and Malayalam, so the gap between its theatrical release and its streaming premiere is just under eight weeks, which is now standard for Hindi films.
Viewers will need an active Netflix subscription to watch the film. There is no separate rental or purchase option announced. The film is available in Hindi, and given its Malayalam theatrical release, the Malayalam version is also expected on the platform. English subtitles are standard for Netflix India premieres, so the film should be easy to follow even if you watch it in a language you do not speak.
The timing is no accident. Netflix tends to put its big Indian premieres out on Fridays, and Daayra shares this week’s spotlight with Ranabaali, which also premieres on Netflix today. But where Ranabaali is a period epic, Daayra is a tight, song-free investigation, and the two films could hardly be more different. If you only have time for one serious watch this weekend, the choice comes down to what kind of story you want.
What Is Daayra About?
Daayra is a crime thriller built around a question with no easy answer: when the police kill the accused, is that justice or murder?
The story begins with a brutal rape and murder case that sparks public outrage. Four suspects are then killed in police custody in an encounter, and the public largely cheers. But DCP Ajooni Kohli, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, is asked to investigate whether the encounter was genuine or staged. Her inquiry puts her directly against DCP Raman Kumar, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, the officer at the centre of the encounter.
The film is inspired by the 2019 Hyderabad Disha case and the police encounter that followed it, when four accused men were shot dead by police while allegedly trying to escape. That real incident divided the country. Many celebrated it as instant justice, while others warned that it bypassed the courts entirely. Daayra takes that debate and turns it into a tense, character-driven investigation, without ever telling the audience which side to take.
What makes the film different from a standard police procedural is that it refuses to pick a side early. The trailer’s own line says it plainly: truth is never absolute, justice is open to interpretation, and every decision comes with a consequence. As Ajooni digs deeper, the case stops being about four dead suspects and starts being about the system itself, about who gets to decide guilt, and what happens when the people meant to uphold the law bend it.
Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran Lead the Cast
The biggest draw of Daayra on Netflix is the first-ever on-screen pairing of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and the film uses that casting cleverly. They are not hero and villain. They are two senior officers who genuinely believe they are doing the right thing, and their definitions of right are irreconcilable.
Kareena plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, an officer who believes in due process. Her character is restrained, methodical and unwilling to accept the easy version of events, even when the whole city wants her to. Critics singled out her controlled performance as one of the film’s strengths, noting how much she conveys without raising her voice.
Prithviraj plays DCP Raman Kumar, the officer who led the encounter. His character is not written as a corrupt cop or a rogue hero, but as a man convinced that the system failed the victim and that he did what the system could not. It is the kind of morally grey role Prithviraj has made his own, and the clash between the two officers gives the film its spine.
The supporting cast includes Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog, Kanwaljeet Singh, Sandeep Kulkarni and Trupti Khamkar, along with Achint Kaur, Anuja Sathe, Seema Azmi and Biswapati Sarkar. They play the officers, lawyers, families and officials caught in the aftermath of the encounter, and the film gives them all room to matter. Daayra is directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, known for Talvar, Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur. She co-wrote the film with Yash Keswani and Sima Agarwal, and it is produced by Junglee Pictures and Dr. Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios.
Why Daayra Deserves a Second Chance on Streaming
Honesty matters here, so let us be clear: Daayra had a quiet theatrical run. The film opened on 18 September 2026 to around Rs 1 crore net in India on its first day, and its lifetime India net collection stands at about Rs 5.77 crore, with a worldwide gross of roughly Rs 9.27 crore, according to Bollywood Hungama. Other trackers put the India net slightly higher, at around Rs 6.5 crore, but every tracker agrees on the broad picture, a modest run for a film with two major stars and a respected director.
Trade writers linked the slow box office to the film’s serious subject rather than its quality. A grim, song-free crime drama about police encounters was always going to be a tough sell on an opening weekend, and it released alongside another film on the same day. But the same trade reports also said the film was expected to find a much larger audience on streaming, where viewers choose serious dramas more freely. That is exactly what Daayra on Netflix now offers.
There is another reason the film works better at home. Daayra has no songs at all. Lyricist Gulzar revealed that the script simply did not allow for them, which tells you how seriously the film takes its subject. There is no romantic track and no item number to break the tension. The film runs on its story, its performances and its questions, and that kind of slow-burn drama often plays far better in a quiet living room than it did in a noisy opening weekend.
The reviews back that up. Critics praised the film’s restraint and its refusal to hand out easy answers, even while noting that its pace will not suit everyone. If you liked Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar or Raazi, the tone will feel familiar: realistic, restrained and uncomfortable in the right places. And if you missed it in cinemas, today is the day to catch up.
Daayra Trailer: What to Expect Before You Press Play
The official trailer of Daayra released on 31 August 2026 and has crossed 45 million views. It opens with the case, moves quickly to the encounter, and then settles into the investigation that divides the two officers. The trailer gives away the shape of the story without revealing how the inquiry ends, which is the right call for a film built on a moral question.
Watch the official trailer here:
The trailer’s look is deliberately dark and grounded, with police tape, interrogation rooms, press conferences and protests, and no gloss or glamour. It also sets up the film’s central image, two officers in the same uniform standing on opposite sides of the same line. If the trailer leaves you arguing with yourself about who is right, the film has done its job before it has even started.
How to Watch Daayra on Netflix
Watching Daayra on Netflix is simple. Open Netflix on your phone, laptop, smart TV or tablet, search for Daayra, and press play. The film is included in a standard Netflix subscription, so there is no extra charge and no separate rental. It streams in Hindi, with the Malayalam version also expected, and English subtitles are available.
If you are new to Netflix, you will need a subscription first, and the film will be waiting on the home screen under new releases. There is no need to book tickets or check showtimes, which is part of the point. Daayra is a film to watch without distractions, and from today, that is exactly how most people will meet it for the first time. For another film that arrived in cinemas today, also read our report on Ebenezer, Johnny Depp’s dark take on Scrooge, which opened worldwide this morning.
Daayra on Netflix FAQs
Is Daayra on Netflix now?
Yes. Daayra on Netflix is streaming from today, Friday 13 November 2026. Netflix confirmed the date on its official accounts earlier this week.
Where can I watch Daayra online?
Daayra streams on Netflix. You need an active Netflix subscription to watch it. No rental or purchase option has been announced.
Who stars in Daayra?
Kareena Kapoor Khan plays DCP Ajooni Kohli and Prithviraj Sukumaran plays DCP Raman Kumar. The supporting cast includes Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog, Kanwaljeet Singh, Sandeep Kulkarni, Trupti Khamkar, Achint Kaur, Anuja Sathe and Seema Azmi.
Who directed Daayra?
Meghna Gulzar directed Daayra. She co-wrote it with Yash Keswani and Sima Agarwal. The film is produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios.
Is Daayra based on a true story?
Daayra is inspired by the 2019 Hyderabad Disha case and the police encounter that followed, in which four accused men were killed in police custody. The film is a fictionalised drama built around that incident, not a documentary.
How did Daayra perform at the box office?
Daayra had a quiet theatrical run after releasing on 18 September 2026. It collected about Rs 5.77 crore net in India and roughly Rs 9.27 crore worldwide, according to Bollywood Hungama, though trade reports expect it to reach a much bigger audience on Netflix.
Daayra may not have set the box office on fire, but its Netflix premiere today is the moment this film was waiting for. If you like crime thrillers that ask difficult questions instead of serving easy answers, this is your weekend watch. Search for Daayra on Netflix and press play.
Sources: Pinkvilla and Filmfare.
Image Credit: Junglee Pictures / Pen Studios — Official Trailer/Poster via YouTube
