Mumbai: Kareena Kapoor Khan has opened up about playing police officer Ajooni in Daayra, describing the role as a new shade in her 25-year acting career. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film explores the complicated relationship between law and justice, placing its central characters in a morally grey situation.
The film stars Kareena alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran, with the two actors portraying police officers who find themselves on opposing sides while investigating a case involving juvenile crime. According to the makers, Daayra is inspired by true events.
Kareena on Ajooni’s moral conflict
Speaking about the challenges of playing Ajooni, Kareena said the character’s perspective was not always easy to follow because the story deliberately avoids a straightforward division between right and wrong.
Referring to a line written by Gulzar, Kareena said, “sach ka daayra toh badalte rehta hai,” while explaining the shifting understanding of truth within the story.
“It was difficult for me also to stay on track with Ajooni because there is always going to be a conflict,” she said.
Kareena added that while she personally prefers to see things clearly, Daayra operates in a world where the boundaries are blurred.
“As a person, I walk the straight line. I like to believe in life that it’s black and white. But in the film, it is grey,” she said.
Ajooni moves away from the usual female cop image
Kareena also highlighted how Ajooni differs from the conventional female police characters often seen in Hindi films.
According to the actor, female cops have traditionally been portrayed through a stereotypical action-oriented image, with masculine mannerisms, guns and high-octane sequences forming a major part of their characterisation.
“There has traditionally been a stereotypical format for female cops where she has to be butch, walk in a certain masculine way, and pick up a gun to do high-octane action,” Kareena said.
She explained that Meghna Gulzar wanted Ajooni to remain feminine while being firm and committed to her principles.
“Ajooni isn’t someone who resorts to guns and typical action heroics; that is simply not her character,” Kareena said.
The actor said the opportunity to approach a police character differently was one of the aspects that attracted her to the role.
Meghna Gulzar explores law versus justice
Meghna Gulzar said the central conflict of Daayra comes from the tension between following the law strictly and pursuing what one believes constitutes justice.
“The moral conundrum overlaps on both ends, the strict letter of the law versus the delivery of justice,” the filmmaker said.
Meghna added that while themes involving law, crime, punishment and justice have appeared in some of her films, they are not deliberately selected as a recurring formula. Instead, she said the human dimension of a story is what attracts her.
“What attracts me to a story is the human quotient, what happens to the human emotion in that circumstance,” she said.
Prithviraj says neither character is completely right or wrong
Prithviraj Sukumaran, who plays DCP Raman Kumar, also spoke about the moral ambiguity surrounding the characters.
The actor said he does not completely agree with Raman’s actions, but does not completely disagree with him either. He said the same complexity applies to Ajooni.
Prithviraj also explained that the larger issue explored by Daayra influenced his decision to be part of the film.
“Certain stories stand for a cause far larger than individual actors, and ‘Daayra’ is one of them,” he said.
The film therefore places both police officers within the same system while allowing them to approach duty, justice and the case differently.
Kareena compares Daayra with Rohit Shetty’s cop universe
Kareena also addressed the contrast between Ajooni and the larger-than-life police characters associated with Rohit Shetty’s cop universe.
She said every filmmaker creates a different cinematic world, describing Shetty’s approach as larger-than-life while calling Meghna’s world grounded, realistic and complex.
“As an actor, I feel fortunate to straddle both worlds comfortably,” Kareena said.
The contrast also reflects the range of police characters she has taken on during her career, with Daayra offering a more restrained and morally complex interpretation of the profession.
‘Challenge hona bahut zaroori hota hai’
Reflecting on her career, Kareena said taking on challenging roles remains important after 25 years in the industry.
“I think as an actor, challenge hona bahut zaroori hota hai, especially after 25 years of work,” she said.
The actor described playing Ajooni as an honour and said the character represents a different shade in her filmography.
Daayra releases in theatres on September 18. The film follows the aftermath of a crime that triggers public outrage and sets two investigations in motion, with Ajooni and Raman navigating questions of duty, law and justice from different perspectives.