28 September,2026 03:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Adnan Sami and Aditya Kulshreshth (Pictures via Instagram)
Singer Adnan Sami has reacted to a joke about him on comedian Samay Raina's India's Got Latent. The remark came during an episode featuring actor Ayushmann Khurrana as a panelist, where comedian Aaditya Kulshreshth, popularly known as Kullu, drew a connection between Sami and Ayushmann's upcoming spy comedy, Udta Teer.
During the episode, Ayushmann was asked about the film and explained its unusual premise. The actor plays Bilal Ahmad, a Pakistani spy who enters India but loses his memory following an accident. He then mistakenly believes that he is an Indian spy, remembering his sense of patriotism but forgetting which country he actually belongs to.
As Ayushmann described the character, that 'It's India's first patriotic comedy. It's also a spy comedy. Isme main ek Pakistani spy hoon jo India mein aata hai, uski yaddasht chali jaati hai aur woh sochta hai ki woh Indian hai. Usko desh bhakti toh yaad hai, lekin desh kaunsa hai bhul jaata hai.' Kullu quickly interrupted with a punchline, saying, "Woh Adnan Sami hai" (That is Adnan Sami). The joke left the panel and audience amused.
A clip from the episode was later shared on the official Instagram page of India's Got Latent. Sami came across the video and decided to respond in the comments. Taking the joke in his stride, the singer wrote, "Pehle Mujhse âRights' Lo Aur Phir Film Banao (Take the rights from me first and then make that film)!!!!"
Sami's response quickly became part of the conversation around the clip, with his tongue-in-cheek reaction adding another layer to the joke.
The singer, who previously held Pakistani citizenship, officially renounced it and was granted Indian citizenship through naturalisation in 2016. His name being referenced in the context of a Pakistani character appears to have been used purely as a comic reference to his personal history.
Meanwhile, Udta Teer stars Ayushmann opposite Sara Ali Khan and is directed by debutant filmmaker Akash A Kaushik. The film revolves around Bilal, whose memory loss leads to a series of comic misunderstandings as he believes himself to be an Indian spy.
At the trailer launch, Ayushmann described playing the character as one of his most difficult roles, particularly because he had to maintain a straight face while chaos unfolded around him. "It is the most difficult character because things were happening around him. I had to have that straight face, though there were moments when I felt like laughing, but I couldn't. I had to be normal while there was chaos happening around me," he said.
Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, Udta Teer is scheduled to release in cinemas on October 9.
