Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, opened to ₹0.90 crore in India on Day 1. The crime thriller recorded 11.65% Hindi occupancy, trailing Vibe, while Hanuman Ansh continued its strong theatrical run.
Meghna Gulzar’s crime thriller Daayra released in theatres on Friday, September 18, 2026 received a modest box office response. Based on a rape and murder case, the film marks the first screen pairing of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. They play police officers forced to navigate intense ethical dilemmas following an encounter killing.
According to Sacnilk, Daayra earned an estimated ₹0.90 crore net in India on Day 1. The film was screened across roughly 2,238 shows nationwide recording a low overall Hindi occupancy rate of 11.65%. While released simultaneously in Hindi and Malayalam, nearly the entire opening revenue came from its Hindi print as Malayalam earnings remained minimal at under ₹2 lakh. This performance ranks among Kareena Kapoor Khan's lowest opening day figures in recent years falling below 2024’s The Buckingham Murders (₹1.15 crore).
Read more about the collection here.
Also releasing on September 18, Kunal Kemmu’s action-comedy Vibe starring Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava took the lead over Daayra. Despite a modest start itself, Vibe recorded an estimated Day 1 net collection of ₹1.29 crore to ₹1.50 crore in India across 3,194 shows edging out Daayra in overall box office performance on clash day. The film follows two friends whose lives change after an unexpected planetarium date leads them into a high-stakes adventure from Mumbai to Bangkok.
Read more about Vibe's box office collection here.
Both new releases faced significant competition from the devotional sleeper hit Hanuman Ansh, directed by Vishal Chaturvedi. Entering its seventh week in theatres, the low budget drama based on Neem Karoli Baba brought in ₹5.00 crore net on the same Friday alone. Having grossed over ₹315 crore worldwide against a production budget of just ₹2 crore, its continued theatrical run leaves limited screen share for new entries like Daayra and Vibe.
Also Read- Daayra release confirmed: Kareena and Prithviraj together
Explore our upcoming features, author interviews, and deep-dives into new policy reforms.