Akash A Kaushik’s directorial debut mixes espionage, amnesia and patriotic confusion, but despite Ayushmann Khurrana’s committed performance and Mukul Dev’s memorable final screen appearance, the film struggles to hit its comic target.
Bollywood loves a spy who can save the nation, outsmart dangerous enemies and walk away from explosions without losing his cool. But what happens when a Pakistani intelligence agent forgets his own identity, starts believing he is an Indian counter-terrorism officer and accidentally turns his carefully planned mission into a spectacular mess? That is the madcap premise of Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan.
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Released in theatres on October 23, 2026, the espionage comedy attempts to turn a serious subject into a full-blown comedy of errors. There is mistaken identity, panicking intelligence officers, bumbling terrorists and a secret mission that seems to have forgotten its own purpose. On paper, it sounds like a delicious recipe for Bollywood entertainment. On screen, however, the results are considerably more uneven.
Udta Teer Movie Review: When a Spy Forgets Which Side He Is On
Written and directed by Akash A Kaushik, known for his writing work on Housefull 4 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Udta Teer marks his feature directorial debut. The film appears determined to create a homegrown spy spoof that combines the absurdity of mistaken identities with the high-stakes atmosphere of international espionage.
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The story follows Bilal Ahmed, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, a Pakistani spy operating in India under the identity of Vikrant Thapar. His mission is to destabilise India, but a devastating head injury leaves him suffering from amnesia. Suddenly, the man entrusted with a dangerous assignment no longer remembers who he is, who sent him or what he is supposed to accomplish.
Worse for his Pakistani handlers, Bilal begins believing that he is an Indian counter-terrorism operative. His transformation sends his bosses, General Mir (Gulshan Grover) and Niyazi (Ram Kapoor), into damage-control mode. Their carefully constructed operation begins collapsing as the very man they trained to work against India starts acting like its defender.
The resulting confusion provides the film with its biggest comic opportunity. Unfortunately, an amusing premise is not automatically a hilarious movie, and Udta Teer repeatedly struggles to turn its central idea into consistently effective comedy.
Ayushmann Khurrana Is the Film’s Biggest Strength
If there is one reason the film remains watchable despite its narrative turbulence, it is Ayushmann Khurrana.
The actor has built a career around playing unconventional characters, often finding humour in ordinary people trapped in extraordinary situations. Here, he takes on a man whose professional training clashes spectacularly with his complete inability to understand his own circumstances.
Bilal is supposed to be a trained intelligence operative, yet his amnesia turns him into an unpredictable liability. Khurrana understands the comic possibilities of that contradiction and commits himself to the character’s confusion without constantly demanding laughs from the audience.
His performance helps maintain a degree of continuity in a film whose plot frequently threatens to fly in several directions at once. Even when the writing loses its grip, the actor gives the audience someone to follow through the madness.
The role also fits Khurrana’s screen persona. He is often most interesting when playing against conventional heroism, and Udta Teer gives him another opportunity to turn an apparently absurd character into the centre of a mainstream entertainer.
However, even a capable performance has limitations. The actor can make Bilal’s confusion entertaining, but he cannot single-handedly compensate for every weak joke, repetitive situation or underdeveloped narrative turn.
Sara Ali Khan Deserves More Than a Supporting Role
Sara Ali Khan plays Yamini, Bilal’s wife, whose professional position in the finance department of India’s Defence Ministry makes her an important part of his cover.
Her character also introduces a domestic complication into the espionage plot. Yamini’s mother, played by Supriya Pilgaonkar, worries about the apparent instability of her daughter’s marriage, creating another potential source of comedy.
The problem is that Yamini rarely feels like a fully developed character in her own right. Instead of giving Sara a meaningful role in the unfolding mystery, the screenplay frequently positions her as an accessory to Bilal’s story.
That is a missed opportunity. A woman working within a sensitive government department could have added another layer of suspense, suspicion and dramatic conflict to the film. She could have become an active participant in uncovering the truth rather than remaining largely on the sidelines.
Sara’s comparatively limited characterisation also affects the balance between the leads. While Khurrana gets the more elaborate performance challenge, Yamini receives fewer opportunities to influence the plot.
For a film marketed around two popular actors, that imbalance may disappoint viewers expecting a more substantial partnership.
Mukul Dev’s Final Screen Appearance Adds Emotional Weight
Among the supporting performers, Mukul Dev deserves particular attention. His portrayal of a bumbling terrorist tasked with planning suicide attacks supplies some of the film’s more eccentric character comedy.
The character is intended to be dangerous, but his plans repeatedly appear vulnerable to spectacular failure. Dev plays the contradiction with energetic abandon, giving the role a larger-than-life quality that suits the film’s exaggerated universe.
His presence also carries additional significance: Udta Teer marks his final screen appearance. That makes his performance a poignant part of the film’s legacy, even as the character operates within a deliberately exaggerated comic framework.
Gulshan Grover and Ram Kapoor also contribute to the film’s frantic energy as Pakistani military figures attempting to contain an increasingly uncontrollable situation. Suhail Nayyar, meanwhile, plays a fellow operative struggling to understand Bilal’s erratic behaviour.
Rahul Bose, Smita Tambe and other supporting cast members add to the ensemble, although several characters are restricted by the screenplay’s focus on the central identity crisis.
The Comedy Works in Patches, Not as a Consistent Flight
The biggest weakness of Udta Teer is its inability to maintain a steady comic rhythm.
The premise invites comparisons with international spy parodies, in which exaggerated villains, absurd situations and genre conventions become the source of humour. But successful spoof comedy requires more than simply making serious characters behave ridiculously. It needs precise timing, inventive writing and a clear understanding of what makes the original genre entertaining.
Here, the film often mistakes confusion for comic momentum. Situations spiral out of control, but not every escalation produces a genuinely funny payoff. Some sequences have flashes of inspired absurdity, while others feel stretched beyond their natural comic lifespan.
The film’s treatment of language and cultural identity also creates an uncomfortable moment. A question about how Bilal, now believing himself to be Hindu, can read Urdu relies on a simplistic assumption about religion and language. Rather than delivering a sharp punchline, the exchange risks making the humour appear ignorant.
That is particularly disappointing for a film attempting to poke fun at national identity, patriotism and espionage. Satire can challenge assumptions, but it needs precision to avoid reproducing the very stereotypes it should be questioning.
Can Udta Teer Find Its Audience at the Box Office?
The film’s commercial prospects will depend heavily on audience response to its unusual premise and Ayushmann Khurrana’s performance.
Spy comedies can attract viewers looking for an alternative to conventional action thrillers, particularly when the film promises family-friendly entertainment and an ensemble cast. However, the genre also presents a challenge: audiences must find the jokes funny enough to overlook the implausibility that comes with an intentionally ridiculous story.
For Udta Teer, word of mouth could become especially important. Viewers who enjoy broad situational comedy and do not demand a tightly constructed narrative may find enough entertainment in its better sequences. Those expecting the precision of a polished spy spoof could leave underwhelmed.
The film also arrives at a time when Hindi cinema continues to experiment with patriotic narratives and espionage stories. Its attempt to approach the genre through comedy could help it stand apart, but differentiation alone does not guarantee success.
If the film finds an audience, it could encourage more Hindi filmmakers to explore irreverent takes on familiar action genres. If viewers remain unconvinced by its uneven execution, the takeaway may be that even the wildest premise needs disciplined writing.
Final Verdict: A Spy Mission That Loses Its Way
Udta Teer has a promising central idea, an enthusiastic Ayushmann Khurrana and a supporting cast willing to embrace its absurdity. Mukul Dev also leaves a memorable impression in his final screen appearance.
Yet the film’s comedy frequently lacks the sharpness needed to turn its eccentric premise into a consistently satisfying experience. Sara Ali Khan’s underwritten character and the screenplay’s uneven handling of satire further weaken the overall result.
The film is not without amusing moments, and its lighter approach to espionage may appeal to undemanding viewers. But the difference between a clever spy spoof and a collection of chaotic comic situations remains painfully visible.
Ultimately, Udta Teer takes off with an entertaining idea, encounters turbulence halfway through and spends much of its journey searching for a destination. Ayushmann Khurrana keeps the aircraft airborne, but the screenplay never quite manages a smooth landing.
Verdict: 2.5/5 Stars
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