In one scene in Udta Teer, Ashfaq (Suhail Nayyar) tells Bilal (Ayushmann Khurrana), “Sunny Deol bana baitha hai, tu Tara Singh nahi Ashraf Ali hai.” The dialogue captures the film’s premise perfectly. A Pakistani spy loses his memory and starts behaving like a patriotic Indian, willing to do anything for the country. The twist is that he remembers his love for his nation but has forgotten which country he belongs to.
Written and directed by Aakash Kaushik, Udta Teer is a comedy of errors set against the backdrop of spies, secret agents and changing loyalties. The film draws humour from its lead character’s identity crisis. While it does not offer anything particularly revolutionary to the spy genre, it delivers enough laughs to remain entertaining.
The story opens in Pakistan, where terrorist Azhar Maqsood (Mukul Dev) vows revenge after Operation Sindoor. Intelligence reports indicate that he has crossed the border and is hiding somewhere in India. In Baramulla, Kashmir, we meet Vikrant Thapar (Ayushmann Khurrana), an officer with India’s Counter Terrorism Squad (CTS), who is part of an operation to track down Maqsood.
However, Vikrant has secrets of his own. His true identity and loyalties are different from what they seem, and his past is connected to a larger conspiracy involving Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies. As events unfold, a series of unexpected developments forces him to question his identity and beliefs.
Meanwhile, CTS chief Varman (Rahul Bose) is attempting to identify a mole within his team. Vikrant’s personal life is also in turmoil. His marriage to Yamini (Sara Ali Khan), who works in the Defence Ministry, is close to breaking down. As professional secrets and personal troubles collide, a chain of chaotic events follows.
The film gives the familiar spy-thriller formula a comic twist. Much of the humour stems from mistaken identities and the difference between what the characters know and what the audience understands. Kaushik uses this confusion to keep the comedy and espionage plot moving in tandem. The film has shades of Dhurandhar, but comedy remains its central focus.
The biggest strength of Udta Teer is the way it explores its protagonist’s identity crisis. A man trained to serve one country suddenly becomes fiercely devoted to another without realising that his understanding of himself has changed. His newfound patriotism leads to several amusing situations, particularly as the people around him struggle to understand his behaviour.
The Sunny Deol reference brings an added layer of humour, using familiar Bollywood imagery to underline the character’s confusion. The song Bhul Gaya Sab Kuch, from the title track of Julie (1975), also appears at just the right moment, turning a simple joke into an effective comic moment.
The supporting cast also gets opportunities to shine. The hospital sequences involving Rahul Bose’s Varman deliver some of the film’s funniest moments, while Sandeep Anand contributes to the humour. Ashfaq’s reactions to the unfolding chaos are entertaining, and the film repeatedly draws comedy from the characters’ conflicting interests.
The humour succeeds because it emerges naturally from the situations rather than relying on forced punchlines. The spy plot establishes the circumstances, while the characters’ reactions create the comic moments. The film manages to combine its national-security theme with a light-hearted approach, making it more of a comedy built around espionage than a thriller that struggles to be funny. It also avoids excessive displays of patriotism and preachy dialogue, which could easily have become pitfalls in a story of this kind.
Ayushmann Khurrana is well suited to the role. He comfortably handles the different aspects of his character, Bilal and Vikrant, ensuring that the confusion remains understandable without becoming exaggerated. His comic timing is particularly effective in scenes where his actions seem perfectly reasonable to him but leave everyone else baffled.
Suhail Nayyar is equally effective as Ashfaq. His interactions with Ayushmann and Rahul Bose strengthen the film’s comic appeal, and he handles the humorous situations with ease. His performance even makes you want to repeat his favourite line to him: “Laale kamal da banda hai tu.”
Mukul Dev brings humour to his portrayal of Azhar Maqsood. His introduction, in which he swipes through Hinder, a Pakistani dating app, establishes the film’s unpredictable comic tone. The late actor leaves a lasting impression in his scenes.
Sara Ali Khan has limited screen time as Yamini but makes the most of her role. Her troubled marriage to Vikrant adds a personal dimension to the story, although her character could have been explored in greater depth.
Ram Kapoor lends credibility to his role, while Rahul Bose emerges as another highlight. Much of his comedy comes from his expressions, particularly his eyes. Brijendra Kala makes effective use of his understated screen presence, while Gulshan Grover and Raghubir Yadav strengthen the supporting cast.
Although Udta Teer revolves around national security, its biggest selling point is its comedy. The music adds to the entertainment, with quirky lyrics complementing the film’s humour. Bollywood references and well-timed jokes keep things lively, while the supporting actors ensure that Ayushmann Khurrana does not have to shoulder the entire comic burden himself.
Aakash Kaushik’s writing brings together espionage, mistaken identities and patriotism, finding humour in the contrast between the protagonist’s real identity and the person he believes himself to be.
If you were looking for Dhurandhar with a heavier dose of comedy, Udta Teer fits the bill. The film is currently playing in cinemas.
