Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has opened up about the creative vision behind her upcoming film Daayra, which stars Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role. In a chat with IANS, the writer-producer shared that authenticity was at the heart of the project, with every character carefully crafted to feel relatable, believable, and true to life. Talking about the casting process behind Daayra, Meghna Gulzar said, “We needed to create a world that was authentic, with characters from different walks of life that were identifiable and real. Our Casting Director Taran Bajaj and team, have done a superb job of bringing the world of Daayra to life. As has the team of Assistant Directors who have meticulously cast and designed the background actors that appear in the film - even if it is to just walk by.”

 

Taran Bajaj, Casting Director of Daayra, added, “Meghna's brief was to keep the world authentic and real, which meant Daayra needed actors with depth, sincerity and a strong understanding of human psychology. We cast 75 speaking roles, with each character approached from Meghna's creative lens.” “One of the biggest challenges was casting across age groups, including a 17-year-old debutant in a pivotal role. From the National School of Drama and FTII to local theatre groups, we auditioned actors from across the country. The cast brings together talent from Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala and MP, making it a true pan-India ensemble. The responsibility was to seamlessly blend diverse regions, languages and dialects of different cast members into one solid, single unit.” Daayra also features Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is slated to hit theatres on September 18.