Udta Teer review: A spy comedy built on mistaken identity

There is a moment early in Udta Teer that sets the tone: a Pakistani spy loses his memory and starts acting like a fiercely patriotic Indian. He still loves his country; he has just forgotten which country that is. That single joke is the engine of Aakash Kaushik’s new comedy, now in cinemas.

A spy premise that chooses laughter over tension

The film opens in Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, where terrorist Azhar Maqsood, played by Mukul Dev, vows revenge. Intelligence suggests he has crossed into India. In Baramulla, Kashmir, a Counter Terrorism Squad officer named Vikrant Thapar, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, is on the hunt. But Vikrant is not what he appears to be. His loyalties, his past and his real identity are tied to a larger puzzle involving both Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies.

At home, his marriage to Yamini, played by Sara Ali Khan, is barely holding together. At work, CTS chief Varman, played by Rahul Bose, is hunting for a mole. When professional secrets and personal trouble collide, the film turns into a chain of chaotic mix-ups.

The comedy is built on a knowledge gap

Kaushik does not lean on overwrought patriotism or forced punchlines. The fun comes from mistaken identities and the gap between what the audience knows and what the characters know. That gap is classic dramatic irony: we can see the hero’s confusion before he can, and the supporting players react to behaviour they cannot explain.

One source of the film’s humour is its use of familiar Bollywood imagery. A character points out that Bilal has started behaving like Sunny Deol’s Tara Singh rather than Ashraf Ali. The old Julie title song ‘Bhul Gaya Sab Kuch’ arrives exactly when the memory-loss joke needs it. These touches keep the tone light.

Who keeps the film in the air

Khurrana is well suited to the double demand of the role. He shifts between Bilal and Vikrant without making the confusion exhausting, and his comic timing lands hardest when his actions make sense only to him. Suhail Nayyar, as Ashfaq, is just as effective, and his scenes with Khurrana and Rahul Bose keep the comedy moving. Rahul Bose gets a lot of laughs with little more than his eyes, while Sandeep Anand adds support. Mukul Dev’s introduction, which involves swiping on a Pakistani dating app called Hinder, signals early that this is not a conventional thriller.

Sara Ali Khan has less screen time, but she is convincing as Yamini. Her strained marriage gives the story a personal edge, even if the character could have been given more room.

• The comedy runs on mistaken identity and dramatic irony, not forced jokes.
• Khurrana and the supporting cast share the comic load.
• The film stays light and never turns preachy about patriotism.

Should you watch Udta Teer?

If you want a spy thriller, this is not the film. If you want a comedy that borrows a spy plot and plays it for laughs, Udta Teer delivers. It has shades of Dhurandhar, but with the comedy turned up. The writing finds humour in the gap between who the protagonist is and who he believes himself to be, and the cast makes that premise feel easy.

Source: India Today