Nepal bars Udta Teer from cinemas days before India release

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan’s Udta Teer has been stopped at the border, at least in Nepal. The country’s Central Film Censor Board has refused to grant the film a public screening permit, throwing its release in that market into doubt days before the Indian opening.

According to a report in India Today, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology informed distributor National Cine Group Nepal that Udta Teer cannot be publicly screened under Section 8(3) of the National Cinema (Production, Exhibition and Distribution) Act, 2026. The film was examined on the basis of the material submitted for review, and the board found that the content fell under a restriction in the cinema law.

What the board objected to

The ministry’s letter does not spell out which scenes or lines caused the problem. Trade reports, however, point to the film’s India-Pakistan storyline as the likely trigger. Nepal’s cinema law includes restrictions for content that may be seen as affecting national interests or communities of a country, which is why the board denied public exhibition.

Was the film banned outright?

So far, Udta Teer has been denied public screening permission, which means it cannot play in Nepali cinemas under the current decision. That is not the same as a permanent ban in every form, but no alternative date or resubmission plan has been made public yet.

What this means for the release

Directed by Aakash Kaushik, Udta Teer is still slated to release in India on October 23, which falls on a Friday. The Nepal decision does not affect that home-market date, but it leaves the overseas release plan uneven.

• Confirmed: Nepal’s Central Film Censor Board has refused a public screening permit.
• Legal grounds: Section 8(3) of the National Cinema Act, 2026.
• Likely trigger: reports link the restriction to the film’s India-Pakistan subject.
• What continues: the India release remains set for October 23.

Why Nepal matters for Hindi films

Nepal has long been a key neighbouring market for Hindi cinema, with audiences following Bollywood releases closely. A screening denial there means not only lost ticket sales but also a signal about how a film’s political subject travels beyond India’s borders.

For Bollywood fans, the Nepal decision is a reminder that a film cleared in India still has to pass separate censor tests in every overseas market. When a title touches India-Pakistan tensions, its international journey can get political before it gets commercial. Indian cinemas are moving ahead, so the domestic release is unchanged, but Nepali audiences are left waiting for clarity.

Source: India Today