Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 19: Meghna Gulzar’s directorial Daayra, starring Kareena Kapoor and Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran in their first film together, has opened to a slow response at the box office.

The crime thriller, which revolves around two police officers caught in a moral conflict following a controversial encounter killing linked to a rape and murder case, recorded an estimated India net collection of Rs 90 lakh on its opening day, according to Sacnilk.

The film was running across 2,238 shows in India and recorded an overall occupancy of 11.65 per cent on Friday. Released in both Hindi and Malayalam, Daayra earned most of its opening-day collection from the Hindi version, while the Malayalam version recorded a negligible collection.

Kareena Kapoor also faced competition from her brother-in-law Kunal Kemmu’s directorial Vibe, which released on the same day. Starring Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, the comedy-action film recorded an estimated opening-day collection of Rs 1.29 crore.

Daayra received a three-star review from Hindustan Times critic Rishabh Suri. He noted that the first half was deliberate rather than gripping, while the film’s investigation was given room to develop instead of being rushed between revelations.

According to the review, the second half picks up pace towards the climax, with the film’s strength lying less in shock value and more in the questions it raises about institutions and accountability.