Thumbs up, by subhash K jha, Bolly Spice : ...What is truly admirable here is the varnished intentions of the narration. No one is in this for the thrills. It feels so much like life, and not in a pleasant, comforting way. And yet it is a voice that must be heard.... full review

Thumbs up, by Pranati A S, Deccan Herald : ...Kareena and Prithviraj deliver stunning performances. While Prithviraj’s conviction for what he believes in comes through, Kareena clearly steals the show with a layered performance. She beautifully balances the internal battle between her personal empathy and anger as a woman and the cop who abides by the law, believing that justice will prevail even when it takes time. And let’s not forget to mention her stunner introduction in pink.... full review

Thumbs up, by Priyanka Gupta, DNA : ...The pacing does dip in a few places, but the central conflict remains strong. Daayra is a serious crime drama that trusts its actors and writing to carry the weight of its subject.... full review

Thumbs up, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...There are no easy answers here. Daayra occasionally tilts towards one side of its argument and gives Prithviraj the more compelling dramatic journey, but its refusal to provide a final verdict is ultimately appropriate. It is a hard-hitting, earthy crime drama that understands that the most disturbing part of a terrible crime may not be the crime itself, but what society chooses to do in its aftermath.... full review

Thumbs up, by Murtuza Iqbal, Free Press Journal : ...Daayra has only one song that comes at the end of the film. Amit Trivedi composed it, B Praak sang it, and veteran writer and lyricist Gulzar wrote it. While Sach Ka Daayra grabs our attention, it is Ketan Sodha's amazing background score that impresses us most and creates the perfect tense atmosphere for the film.... full review

Thumbs up, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...Watch Daayra for Prithviraj, and for the family that grounds this film in real grief. Just don't expect the second half to move as briskly as the first.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anindita Mukhopadhyay, India TV : ...Daayra is not an easy watch, and that is largely the point. It is a not a thriller but a crime drama that wants you to question the idea of justice rather than simply consume a familiar cop story. Kareena Kapoor Khan is controlled and convincing, while Prithviraj Sukumaran brings enough complexity to a morally difficult character. Meghna Gulzar once again creates a world where the answers are not handed to you. It may not be her finest work, but Daayra is still a film worth watching for the 'uncomfortable' truth it leaves you with.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rajiv Vijayakar, koimoi : ...Amit Trivedi’s single song is alright, ditto Gulzar’s lyrics. Full marks and more are due to Ketan Sodha’s mood background score, Saurabh Goswami’s perfectly apt camerawork and the editing scissorhands Meghna Gulzar and Charu Shree Roy, who ensure that there is not one extra frame in the narrative.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Frankly, your sympathies on the matter could swing both ways. The issue is much larger than a particular, real-life event. I have an answer. You may have another. Glad the film asks the question, and leaves it at that.... full review

Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...As a whole, Daayra is a MUST WATCH for several reasons, but your own reason may only become clear once you have finished watching it.... full review

Thumbs up, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Director Meghna Gulzar, returning to the domain of crime, inquisition and punishment that Talvar explored, adopts an aptly workaday storytelling style enlivened by dazzling editing.... full review

Thumbs up, by Isha Sharma, NewsBytes : ...Another major qualm of mine is that we know nearly nothing about Raman's personal life. Who is he off-duty? We meet his wife thrice; she flashes a smile and leaves, adding nothing to the film. Nonetheless, despite these issues, Daayra is watchable because of Sukumaran's memorable performance and its relevant themes. Like Anubhav Sinha's recent film Assi, it unsettles and enrages you.... full review

Thumbs up, by Netra Brid, Pinkvilla : ...Ultimately, Daayra is a gripping and uncomfortable watch that stays with you beyond the end credits. Its most significant achievement is not providing an answer but making the audience question their own idea of justice. For viewers looking for a crime thriller, Meghna Gulzar’s film offers plenty to think about long after leaving the theatre.... full review

Thumbs up, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...What works is the gentle tone of their dialogue, which respectfully hears out each other's point of view yet holds on to one's style of taking the trash out. Its unresolved, noncommittal conclusion is exactly the sort of anticlimactic reality Daayra wants to bring our attention to. Neither justice nor revenge can undo the fate met by the world's Nirbhayas or Arushis.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anuj Kumar, The Hindu : ...A gritty examination of the cost of instant retribution, the police procedural, anchored by a fantastic Prithviraj Sukumaran and an unusually off-key Kareena Kapoor Khan, probes the grey area where the line between justice and vengeance blurs.... full review

Thumbs up, by Sahir Avik D’souza, The Quint : ...Subpar Direction In particular, Gulzar’s handling of her actors can be very hit-and-miss. Achint Kaur and Kanwaljit Singh are wasted in tiny roles. The scene with Kaur is so amateurishly staged that it comes off looking less like the undercover operation it is meant to be and more like reality TV. On the other hand, Trupti Khamkar is very watchable as a policewoman with guts and strength, one who gives chase and flattens criminals bare-handed. It is good to see Khamkar as a cop opposite Kapoor Khan again, but in a vastly different film. They were both in the caper Crew, where Khamkar was hilarious.... full review

Thumbs up, by Agnivo Niyogi, The Telegraph : ...That is what makes the conflict between Raman and Ajooni interesting. Daayra doesn't simply put a “good cop” against a “bad cop”. Both believe they are pursuing justice. Their disagreement is about what justice should look like when the law and conscience pull in different directions.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mimansa Shekhar, Times Now : ...Daayra is a riveting and significant crime drama. Meghna Gulzar treats the subject with seriousness and Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran give performances that lend emotional and moral weight to the investigation. The film's focus is pertinent for a memorable theatrical experience with honest performances, thoughtful direction and a socially relevant theme. The result is a cinema that seems timely, serious and emotionally involving. Daayra might prove a significant addition to Hindi cinema's burgeoning crop of socially conscious investigative dramas.... full review

Thumbs up, by Renuka Vyavahare, Times of India : ...Ultimately, Daayra is less interested in asking who committed the crime than in asking what we are willing to accept in the name of justice. It examines the uncomfortable space between law and morality, procedure and closure, patience and rage. It raises the right questions, even if its central confrontation needed sharper, more evenly matched arguments.... full review

So-So, by Aakash Kumar, Filmi Beat : ...Daayra is not an easy watch. Its subject is disturbing, and the film does not completely hide the harsh reality surrounding the crime. It looks at justice from different angles and asks where the line should be drawn when police officers are dealing with brutal criminals.... full review

So-So, by Nitin Jain, Glamsham.com : ...Daayra ultimately works better as a straightforward crime thriller than as the deeper examination of justice and accountability that its opening half promises. Yet, at a time when audiences have been subjected to a steady run of disappointing films, there is something reassuring about simply getting a film that gives you a reason to stay with it.... full review

So-So, by Rishabh Suri, Hindustan Times : ...Overall, Daayra raises a question far more uncomfortable than the one it begins with: when the system itself becomes part of the story, where does justice really begin? The film has enough moral complexity to make that question linger, even if its trajectory and pace blunt some of its impact. By the time the end credits roll, you are left with a film that has substance and clearly wants to provoke thought, but could have used a little more fire to truly leave a mark.... full review

So-So, by Shweta Keshri, india today : ...The film is worth a watch, but may leave you wanting more from it than it is willing to give.... full review

So-So, by Tatas Chowdhury, News18.com : ...For the most part, Daayra manages to turn its gaze towards the uneasy line between revenge and justice while also examining media trials. Its ideological clash makes for a compelling idea and it could’ve given the film a far more layered moral complexity. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always put those beliefs through enough consequences to make the debate truly resonate.... full review

So-So, by AISHANI BISWAS, Outlook India : ...Gulzar understands the world she is examining, from the police station and the paperwork to the anger surrounding a brutal crime. More importantly, she understands what happens to people when that system fails them. Daayra leaves its central question hanging in the air: when justice takes too long, does that ever give anyone the right to take it into their own hands?... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...The standout performances include a heart-tugging Kshitee Jog. Prithviraj Sukumaran sharply channels Raman’s smug awareness that whatever the outcome of Ajooni’s findings, he gets to be the hero.... full review

So-So, by Kartik Bhardwaj, the new Indian Express : ...Daayra needed to explore more of that. Something beyond binaries. A pain that can’t be boxed into right or wrong.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Of the cast, Prithviraj comes off best of the lot, in a contained but effective performance, along with Jitendra Joshi and Trupti Khamkar, as junior colleagues who know exactly how to catch a fleeing criminal.... full review

Thumbs down, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...a... full review