Kareena Kapoor Khan believes stepping into a Meghna Gulzar film is an experience that demands complete surrender. At the music launch of Daayra in Mumbai, Kareena joined Meghna Gulzar, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Gulzar Saab as the team spoke about the upcoming crime thriller. Reflecting on her experience working with the filmmaker, Kareena praised Meghna’s ability to create a distinctive atmosphere that pulls audiences into an entirely different world the moment the lights go down.
“I feel there are very few directors who truly create a specific milieu and atmosphere,” Kareena said. According to the actor, cinema works at its best when audiences can forget everything outside the theatre and allow themselves to become part of the world unfolding on screen. She added that while films can explore different genres such as comedy and action, a Meghna Gulzar film comes with a particular promise — audiences know they are going to be immersed completely in her carefully constructed world.
Kareena went on to describe that immersion as one of the biggest qualities of Meghna’s filmmaking. “You soak it all in and immerse yourself in it,” she said, praising the director for creating the kind of cinematic environment that makes viewers feel as though they have stepped inside the story. With Daayra, Kareena believes audiences will be ready to experience exactly that when the film arrives in theatres on September 18.
The actor also shared an interesting glimpse into Meghna’s attention to detail when it came to her character’s appearance. Asked whether she had been involved in decisions surrounding her overall look and the active role she plays in the film, Kareena revealed that Meghna remained intensely particular about how her character should be presented. Even when Kareena suggested making certain elements of the costume slightly tighter, the director had a very specific response.
“Even now, she is incredibly passionate—controlled, yet intense,” Kareena recalled. She revealed that when she would ask Meghna whether an outfit looked too loose and suggest tightening it, the filmmaker would firmly respond that she did not want the outline of the character’s figure to be visible. The anecdote offers an interesting insight into how deliberately Meghna has approached the character, with every visual detail seemingly serving the story rather than simply creating a glamorous screen appearance.
Daayra is a crime thriller co-written and directed by Meghna Gulzar and stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead roles. Produced by Vineet Jain and Dhaval Jain under Junglee Pictures and Pen Studios, the film is inspired by a true event. With Kareena praising Meghna’s distinctive cinematic world and revealing the filmmaker’s meticulous approach to even the smallest details, expectations are building for a film that aims to immerse audiences rather than simply entertain them.