Kareena Kapoor Khan says Ajooni from Daayra breaks the female cop stereotype: “She isn’t someone who resorts to guns… challenge hona bahut zaroori hota hai”

September 18, 2026 - 3:19 PM IST

Kareena Kapoor Khan has described her role as police officer Ajooni in Daayra as a different shade in her career. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film explores the conflict between the law and the delivery of justice, placing its characters in situations where the line between right and wrong is not always clear.

Kareena Kapoor Khan says Ajooni from Daayra breaks the female cop stereotype: “She isn’t someone who resorts to guns… challenge hona bahut zaroori hota hai”

The film stars Kareena and Prithviraj Sukumaran as police officers who find themselves on opposing sides while investigating a case set against the backdrop of juvenile crime. According to the makers, Daayra is "inspired by true events."

Speaking about the moral conflict at the centre of the story, Kareena referred to a line written by Gulzar. "Jaise Gulzar Sahab ne likha tha in the song, 'sach ka daayra toh badalte rehta hai"," she said, explaining the challenge of remaining aligned with Ajooni's perspective.

"It was difficult for me also to stay on track with Ajooni because there is always going to be a conflict. I"m sure as a director Meghna felt that while writing it, I"m sure Prithviraj's character, Raman, has felt that. So, it is very difficult," she added.

Kareena said that while she personally prefers clarity, the film operates in a morally grey space. "But as a person, I walk the straight line. I like to believe in life that it's black and white. But in the film, it is grey. That is for sure," she said.

Ajooni's character also moves away from the conventional portrayal of female police officers in Hindi cinema. Kareena said the role was conceived as feminine, composed and firm rather than centred around action sequences.

"There has traditionally been a stereotypical format for female cops where she has to be butch, walk in a certain masculine way, and pick up a gun to do high-octane action," Kareena said.

According to the actor, Meghna wanted Ajooni to be "unapologetically feminine", while remaining firm in her principles. "Ajooni isn't someone who resorts to guns and typical action heroics; that is simply not her character," she said.

Meghna Gulzar explained that the film's central conflict comes from the overlap between the strict interpretation of law and the pursuit of justice. "The moral conundrum overlaps on both ends, the strict letter of the law versus the delivery of justice," she said.

The filmmaker added that although law, justice, crime and punishment appear as recurring themes in her work, her primary interest is the human aspect of such stories. "It is purely coincidence; it is not by design. What attracts me to a story is the human quotient, what happens to the human emotion in that circumstance," she said.

Prithviraj, who plays DCP Raman Kumar, also highlighted the film's grey zone. "I don't agree with the entirety of Raman's actions, nor do I completely disagree with him, and the same applies to Ajooni," he said.

The actor added that his decision to be part of Daayra was influenced by the larger issue explored by the story. "Certain stories stand for a cause far larger than individual actors, and "Daayra" is one of them," Prithviraj said.

Kareena Kapoor Says Ajooni Breaks the Stereotype of Female Cops in Daayra

Kareena also compared the film with her association with Rohit Shetty's cop universe, describing the two approaches as distinct. "Every director operates in a different universe," she said, calling Shetty's world "larger-than-life" and Meghna's "grounded, realistic, and complex. “As an actor, I feel fortunate to straddle both worlds comfortably," Kareena added.

Reflecting on her career, Kareena said experimenting with different roles continues to be important to her after 25 years in the industry. "I think as an actor, challenge hona bahut zaroori hota hai, especially after 25 years of work," she said.

She also described playing Ajooni as an honour and said the character represents a different shade in her filmography.

Daayra is set to release in theatres on September 18. The film follows the aftermath of a crime that sparks public outrage and sets two investigations in motion. Kareena and Prithviraj's characters navigate the same system through different approaches to duty and justice, as the case challenges conventional ideas of right and wrong.

Also Read: REVEALED: Here’s why Karan Johar has been thanked in Daayra and Hrithik Roshan and Huma Qureshi in Vibe