Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer Daayra registered a muted opening at the domestic box office on Friday, collecting an estimated Rs 85 lakh net in India and potentially recording the lowest opening-day collection of Kareena’s career.
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the investigative crime thriller arrived in cinemas on September 18 in Hindi and Malayalam. Early box-office estimates showed the film struggling to draw audiences despite bringing Kareena and Prithviraj together on the big screen for the first time.
Below Rs 1 crore
According to early industry estimates, Daayra collected approximately Rs 85 lakh net across India on its opening day. The film was running across 2,332 shows and recorded overall occupancy of around 11.1 per cent on Friday.
The Hindi version accounted for almost the entire business, collecting an estimated Rs 82 lakh, while the Malayalam version contributed about Rs 3 lakh.
The figures remain preliminary and could change when final opening-day collections are reported.
The sluggish start is particularly significant for Kareena, whose previous lowest opening in recent years was The Buckingham Murders. The Hansal Mehta-directed crime thriller had collected approximately Rs 1.15 crore net in India on its first day in 2024.
If the early figures hold, Daayra will finish below that mark and become the lowest opening-day performer of Kareena’s career.
Vibe opens ahead
Daayra also faced competition from Vibe, directed by Kareena’s brother-in-law Kunal Kemmu, which released on the same day.
The comedy-action film, starring Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, also began slowly but remained ahead of Daayra during its opening day. Early estimates placed Vibe at around Rs 1.13 crore net in India.
The simultaneous releases have created an unusual family box-office contest, with Kareena leading Meghna Gulzar’s serious crime drama while Kemmu occupies the director’s chair for Vibe.
Neither film, however, managed a strong opening, leaving their weekend trajectories heavily dependent on audience response and word of mouth.
Kareena turns cop
Daayra revolves around two police officers caught on opposing sides of a morally complex investigation following a controversial encounter killing linked to a rape and murder case.
Kareena plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, while Prithviraj portrays DCP Raman Kumar. The investigation places their contrasting approaches to policing and justice at the centre of the narrative.
The film examines questions surrounding due process, institutional accountability and the tension between the demand for swift justice and adherence to the law.
The project marks Kareena and Prithviraj’s first film together and continues Gulzar’s association with serious, issue-driven cinema after films such as Talvar, Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur.
Weekend now crucial
The film’s opening-day performance means Saturday and Sunday will be particularly important for its theatrical prospects.
A positive jump over the weekend could help Daayra recover from its sub-Rs 1 crore opening, particularly in urban multiplexes where serious crime dramas traditionally depend more heavily on word of mouth than opening-day footfalls.
The initial occupancy numbers, however, underline the challenge facing the film. Despite the combination of Kareena, Prithviraj and Gulzar, Daayra has begun its box-office journey on a subdued note.
With its opening currently tracking below The Buckingham Murders, the weekend will determine whether Daayra can overcome what is shaping up to be the weakest opening-day performance of Kareena’s career.