Daayra box office collection day 1: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Prithviraj Sukumaran's cop thriller records lowest opening, earns Rs 90 lakh

Daayra finally arrived in theatres on September 18, featuring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film opened on a slow note at the box office. The crime thriller marks the first big-screen collaboration between Kareena and Prithviraj and had generated interest because of its serious subject and the filmmaker's track record.

Daayra Day 1 box office collection

According to early estimates by Sacnilk, Daayra collected Rs 0.90 crore net in India on Day 1, with 2,283 shows. Its India gross collection stood at approximately Rs 1.08 crore. The film recorded an overall occupancy of around 12% on its opening day.

The Meghna Gulzar directorial began its theatrical run with a relatively low opening. The film's ₹0.90 crore India net collection includes earnings from its Hindi and Malayalam versions.


The Hindi version accounted for the larger share of the opening-day business. The Malayalam version, meanwhile, recorded much lower occupancy across the shows tracked on Friday. Sacnilk's data showed the Hindi version recording around 11.65% overall occupancy, while the Malayalam version stood at around 10.85%.

Box-office figures reported on the first day can change as more shows and theatres are added to tracking. Sacnilk also notes that its figures are estimates and can differ from final producer figures.

Kareena Kapoor's lowest opening in recent releases

With an opening of Rs 0.90 crore, Daayra has started below The Buckingham Murders, which had collected around Rs 1.15 crore net in India on its opening day in 2024.

The Hansal Mehta-directed film, which also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan, had previously been among the actor's lowest recent openers. Daayra has now opened below that figure based on the current estimate.



The film's opening comes despite the combination of Kareena, Prithviraj and Meghna Gulzar. The three have also generated attention around the film because of its serious subject and focus on questions of crime, policing and justice.

What is Daayra about?

Daayra follows two senior police officers who find themselves on opposing sides of a difficult case. The story deals with the aftermath of a controversial encounter killing connected to a brutal rape and murder case.

Kareena and Prithviraj play police officers who have different approaches to their duty and the idea of justice. As the investigation progresses, their professional choices bring them into conflict.



The film has been described by its makers as a story that explores moral grey areas rather than presenting straightforward answers. It looks at how a disturbing crime can influence public opinion and lead to different interpretations of justice and accountability.

The thriller has been written by Yash Keswani, Sima Agarwal and Meghna Gulzar. It is produced by Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios.

Daayra marks Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran's first appearance together in a film. The Malayalam star plays a senior police officer, while Kareena takes on another key role within the investigation.

The film also marks Meghna Gulzar's third collaboration with Junglee Pictures after Talvar and Raazi. The movie was released theatrically on September 18, 2026, in Hindi and Malayalam. Its Day 1 performance will now be followed closely over the weekend, when audience response and occupancy could influence its box-office trajectory.