Udta Teer Is An Original Idea Says Akash Kaushik As Comedy Meets Thriller

Noted writer Akash Kaushik is making his directorial debut with Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan. The filmmaker has not only directed the film but also written its screenplay, making the project particularly personal to him. The trailer is now out and introduces audiences to a unique masala entertainer that combines comedy, action, adventure and suspense. At the centre of the story is Ayushmann’s character, a Pakistani spy who enters India on a covert mission but suffers memory loss and starts believing that he is actually an Indian spy. Speaking about his first film as a director, Kaushik revealed that the story is an original idea that he had developed and nurtured for a long time.

In an exclusive conversation, Akash was asked about making his directorial debut with his own screenplay and choosing a genre that can be called a masala film while still feeling fresh. Explaining why Udta Teer was the story he wanted to direct first, Kaushik said, “Well, as I said, it is a 'masala' film, but it’s still fresh—you can see that in the concept itself. And I know it might sound a bit selfish, but as a writer, you tend to save your best ideas for when you want to direct. So, I had really thought about this idea for a long time, nurtured it, and worked on it; choosing it as my first film means it is very special to me. And yes, it’s been a great experience.”

Kaushik’s answer makes it clear that Udta Teer is not simply a project he picked for his transition from writing to direction. The concept had been with him for a long time, allowing him to develop the screenplay before eventually deciding to bring it to life himself. The film’s unusual premise gives him the opportunity to combine the broad entertainment of a masala movie with a story built around mistaken identity, memory loss and espionage. While the trailer showcases the comic side of the story, the filmmaker insists there is much more waiting for audiences.

The director was also asked about his equation with Ayushmann Khurrana and whether working with a friend created any particular challenge. Kaushik clarified that, contrary to the assumption, he and Ayushmann were not friends before the film. They knew each other professionally through mutual connections, but their friendship actually developed while making Udta Teer. “Well, Guneet and Ayushmann were friends, and Ayushmann and I had mutual friends. I knew him in a professional capacity, but we became friends while shooting the film. Our friendship actually developed during the making of the movie; we weren't friends before that,” Akash said.

That working relationship gave the actor and director an opportunity to understand each other while creating the film. Ayushmann plays a character who finds himself caught between two identities after losing his memory, creating a situation where even he is unsure of what is real. The premise allows the actor to explore comic confusion while also becoming part of the film’s larger mystery. Sara Ali Khan joins him in the lead, while the ensemble includes Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Suhail Nayyar, Gulshan Grover, Mukul Dev, Raghubir Yadav, Brijendra Kala, Sandeep Anand, Supriya Pilgaonkar and Smita Tambe.

Given Kaushik’s experience as a writer, he was naturally asked whether the story was inspired by another film or whether something he had previously watched sparked the idea. The filmmaker was emphatic that Udta Teer comes from his own imagination. “No, actually, this is my own idea—it’s not something I saw elsewhere; it’s an original concept,” Kaushik said. The statement adds another interesting dimension to the film, especially because its premise takes familiar spy movie elements and places them inside an unusual comic situation.

Kaushik was also asked whether his own personality is reflected in the kind of comedy he writes. According to the filmmaker, humour is closely connected to the way he observes the world. Rather than taking inspiration from a particular movie, he finds comedy in everyday situations and human behaviour. “See, I think I view the world through a lens of humor. I feel the world's best writer is the guy up there—God—so if your observation skills are sharp, you find comedy all around you. You mentioned that I didn't draw from any specific film, but a lot of my comedy stems from observing the things around me,” he said.

That observation-driven approach appears to be central to Udta Teer. The film takes the serious world of espionage and turns it into a source of comic chaos, with the protagonist’s memory loss creating one misunderstanding after another. However, Kaushik does not want to be limited to comedy. When asked whether he would continue making films in the same genre, he made it clear that experimentation is important to him. “No, I always want to try different genres. In fact, comedy has become my signature style because people seem to like the way I write it, but I don't want to get pigeonholed into any specific genre. The next one might be a thriller—you never know,” he said.

Interestingly, Kaushik then revealed that audiences will not be watching a straightforward comedy when Udta Teer arrives in cinemas. The filmmaker says the film has a strong thriller element, with twists and turns that will take the story beyond its comic setup. “Actually, this film isn't just a comedy; it has plenty of twists and turns. When you watch it, you'll see that while it is a comedy, it’s also a thriller—there are many twists and turns along the way,” he added.

The combination of comedy and thriller could be one of the film’s key attractions. The trailer introduces a spy who has forgotten which side he belongs to, but Kaushik’s comments suggest that the identity crisis is only one part of a larger story. Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, Udta Teer also marks another collaboration between Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment.

For Kaushik, the film represents the beginning of a new chapter after establishing himself as a writer. He has chosen an original idea that he personally nurtured and has now taken responsibility for bringing it to the screen. With Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan leading the cast, and a story that promises to move between comedy, action and thriller elements, Udta Teer is scheduled to release in cinemas on October 9, 2026.

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