31 October,2026 07:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Letty Mariam Abraham
(L-R) Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan in ‘Udta Teer’
Debutant director Akash A Kaushik views the world "through the prism of comedy", and that reflects in his work. He has lent his humour to the scripts and dialogues of several films, from Housefull 4 (2019) to the second and third instalments of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. So, when he decided to transition to direction, it was a no-brainer that the subject would be a comedy. Result? Udta Teer. "I had a lot of faith in this idea," smiled Kaushik.
For good reason, we'd say. The Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer is built on a laugh-out-loud premise - a Pakistani spy working undercover in India believes he is an Indian agent after losing his memory.
The idea was on Kaushik's mind for years. When he first narrated it to his producer-friend Guneet Monga Kapoor, she loved it. "Once I started putting pen to paper, it took me two-and-a-half months to complete the script." As he stepped into the director's role, if he had any doubt about the merit of his comedy, it was quelled on the set. "I could see the actors and crew laughing. At [some points], the DoP was laughing so much that the camera was shaking. Seeing those reactions instilled confidence in me and my work."
When patriotism in Hindi films has increasingly taken on a jingoistic tone, Udta Teer, centred on India-Pakistan dynamics, steers clear of it. How did Kaushik ensure that balance? He reflected, "When I write the script, the characters take me there. Once I wrote Ayushmann's character, I knew whether he would do [a certain thing] or not. If your character is not going out of hand, everything will be balanced, not only patriotism, but any emotion. I follow where my character takes me."
Earlier this year, Akash A Kaushik had another release in âBhooth Bangla', on which he served as the writer
