Udta Teer review roundup: Ayushmann's spy identity crisis

Ayushmann Khurrana's Udta Teer builds its comic premise around a Pakistani spy who loses his memory but retains his patriotic instincts—then directs them towards India. India Today's October 23 review describes writer-director Aakash Kaushik's film, now in cinemas according to the outlet, as an entertaining espionage comedy powered by mistaken identities and its supporting cast.

This account summarises that published assessment; it is not an independent review of the film. The central judgement is that Udta Teer works better as a comedy set inside a spy operation than as a thriller, with Khurrana's confused sense of allegiance supplying its strongest material.

An espionage mission complicated by memory loss

The fictional story opens in Pakistan, where terrorist Azhar Maqsood, played by Mukul Dev, seeks revenge following Operation Sindoor. Within the film's plot, intelligence suggests he has entered India. The action then moves to Baramulla in Kashmir, where Khurrana's Vikrant Thapar serves with India's Counter Terrorism Squad and is involved in the search.

Vikrant's apparent identity conceals another life as Bilal. His connections to Indian and Pakistani intelligence, followed by a loss of memory, turn the mission into a succession of misunderstandings. The audience's knowledge of his predicament, contrasted with the confusion of those around him, becomes the main comic device.

There are complications on two other fronts. CTS chief Varman, played by Rahul Bose, is looking for an insider leaking information, while Vikrant's marriage to Defence Ministry employee Yamini, played by Sara Ali Khan, is close to breaking down. These are fictional characters and plot elements, not allegations concerning actual officials or agencies.

The cast carries the comedy

The review credits Khurrana with keeping Bilal and Vikrant's contrasting identities understandable without resorting to exaggerated performance. Its praise centres on moments when the protagonist acts with complete conviction while everyone around him struggles to interpret his behaviour.

Suhail Nayyar's Ashfaq receives similarly positive notice, particularly for his exchanges with Khurrana and Bose. Hospital sequences featuring Bose's Varman are singled out among the comic highlights, with the actor's expressions doing much of the work. Sandeep Anand also contributes to the situational humour.

Mukul Dev's antagonist gets an unexpectedly comic introduction involving a fictional Pakistani dating app. The assessment also credits Ram Kapoor's presence and Brijendra Kala's restrained performance, while noting Gulshan Grover and Raghubir Yadav among the supporting players.

Sara Ali Khan's performance is described favourably, but the review identifies a limitation in the writing: Yamini has relatively little screen time, and the troubled marriage offers scope for a more developed character.

A lighter take on the spy genre

Bollywood references help translate the identity confusion into jokes. An exchange invoking Sunny Deol's Tara Singh persona and a musical cue using Bhul Gaya Sab Kuch are cited as effective examples. The review also finds that the songs' playful lyrics suit the film's comic approach.

Its comparison with Dhurandhar concerns the espionage setup rather than a claim of identical storytelling. The distinction is tone: Udta Teer is assessed as relying on conflicting interests, awkward reactions and misplaced certainty, rather than solemn patriotic speeches. The overall verdict is favourable on its laughs and ensemble work, without suggesting that it fundamentally changes the spy-film formula.