Mumbai, 01 October (H.S.): Over the past decade-plus, Ayushmann Khurrana has consistently gravitated towards films that explore unconventional subjects and showcase the distinctive perspectives of emerging filmmakers. With ‘Udta Teer’, he is set to complete his seventh film with a filmmaker making their directorial debut or taking their first steps as a director in Hindi cinema.

Before this, he worked with Sharat Katariya on ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’, R.S. Prasanna on ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’, Raaj Shaandilyaa on ‘Dream Girl’, Hitesh Kewalya on ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’, Anubhuti Kashyap on ‘Doctor G’ and Anirudh Iyer on ‘An Action Hero’. While these films had varying outcomes at the box office, each brought a fresh subject and a distinct creative perspective to the screen.

Explaining his approach, Ayushmann said that a director’s experience matters less to him than the story and its vision. He said, “For me, the script always comes first. I don’t look at whether a filmmaker is directing their first film or their tenth. What I look for is whether they have a story and a vision that can excite me. Some of the most memorable experiences of my career have come from working with new filmmakers. They bring a sense of hunger, freshness and the courage to look at something familiar from a different perspective.”

Directed by Aakash A. Kaushik, ‘Udta Teer’ combines patriotism and comedy with a spy-driven storyline. Ayushmann plays a Pakistani spy named Bilal Ahmed, who loses his memory and begins to believe that he is Indian. Speaking about the film, the actor said he was drawn to its story and the world created by Aakash. According to him, every new director brings a different energy to a project. He said the script of ‘Udta Teer’ is at once chaotic, entertaining and emotional, while being anchored in a larger idea. ‘Udta Teer’ marks Aakash A. Kaushik’s feature-film directorial debut and is scheduled to release in theatres on October 9, 2026.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar