Mumbai: Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming Bollywood film Daayra is once again being linked to the 2019 Hyderabad veterinary doctor rape-murder case, after the film’s latest promo dropped ahead of its September 18 release.
The new promo offers glimpses of the crime, the investigation, the victim’s family and the contrasting approaches of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s DCP Ajooni Kohli and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s DCP Raman Kumar. Their conflicting views on justice and the law form the core of the thriller.
Several visuals in the promo have reminded viewers of the Hyderabad tragedy and the controversial police encounter that followed. This has once again raised the question, is Daayra based on that case?
Is Daayra based on the Hyderabad case?
Not exactly. When the film was announced, reports claimed that it was inspired by the 2019 Hyderabad rape-murder case. However, Meghna Gulzar has clarified that Daayra is not a direct retelling of one particular incident.
The filmmaker has said the story draws from several real cases across India and is deliberately kept “region neutral”. According to Gulzar, different elements of the story, including the crime, public reaction and police response, were shaped by multiple real-life incidents.
“‘Daayra’ is not based in a particular city, which is from South India or North India; it’s completely region neutral. The characters are region neutral, because this is not the success or the failure of a particular police force of a particular state,” she said.
Why the Hyderabad connection?
The 2019 case involved a 26-year-old veterinary doctor who was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered on the outskirts of Hyderabad in November 2019.
Four accused Mohammed Arif, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu were arrested. On December 6, they were taken to Chatanpally for a crime-scene reconstruction. Police later claimed that the accused attacked officers, attempted to escape and seized weapons, following which all four were shot dead.
The encounter triggered a huge national debate around instant justice, police action and due process.
Interestingly, these same questions appear to be central to Daayra. Prithviraj’s Raman Kumar seems to represent a more aggressive idea of justice, while Kareena’s Ajooni Kohli questions the system and society’s treatment of women.
Gulzar has described the two characters as “fiercely righteous” and “righteously fierce”, exploring the grey space between right and wrong.
Why the confusion continues around Daayra
Although Daayra is not officially based on the Hyderabad case, the latest promo has once again brought back memories of it. The crime scenes, police investigation, questions around justice and treatment of women have obvious parallels, making the connection understandable.
However, the accurate description is that Daayra is a fictional thriller inspired by multiple real incidents across India, rather than a direct adaptation of the 2019 Hyderabad case.
The Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer, produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios, releases in theatres on September 18.
