Udta Teer review: critics find Ayushmann's spy comedy fun but uneven
Representative image: Pexels / Pixabay
Udta Teer, the Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan spy comedy directed by Aakash Kaushik, opened on 23 October 2026 to mostly 3-out-of-5 reviews praising its humour but faulting its pacing.
What Happened
Udta Teer review verdicts arrived on Friday, 23 October 2026, as the Hindi spy comedy starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan opened in cinemas. Directed by Aakash Kaushik, the film follows a Pakistani spy who loses his memory and wakes up believing he is a patriotic Indian counter-terrorism officer. Most early reviews rated it around 3 out of 5, praising its humour and lead performances but criticising a slower, more serious second half. Before release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave the film a UA 13+ certificate after the makers removed a scene showing blood on the map of India, according to reports.
Key Facts
- Release: in cinemas on 23 October 2026.
- Director: Aakash Kaushik. Lead cast: Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, with Rahul Bose among the supporting cast, according to film listings.
- Premise: an amnesiac Pakistani spy comes to believe he is an Indian counter-terrorism officer.
- Certificate: UA 13+. The CBFC asked for a scene showing blood on the Indian map to be dropped and for anti-smoking and anti-liquor warnings to be added, according to reports.
- Early ratings: India TV 3/5, Bollywood Hungama 3/5 and Filmibeat 3/5; two smaller outlets rated it higher, at 3.5/5 and 4.5/5.
- Nepal's film censor board had earlier refused the film permission for public screening there.
Why It Matters
Udta Teer arrives soon after the success of Dhurandhar, a serious spy thriller, and at a time when India-Pakistan espionage stories are a popular theme in Hindi cinema. The director has described Udta Teer as a "patriotic comedy", and reviewers have compared it, in reverse, with the recent hit Dhurandhar: instead of a hard-edged mission, it plays the confusion of an enemy agent who thinks he is on India's side for laughs. Whether audiences want a lighter version of the genre is the commercial question the film will answer over its first weekend.
What the critics agree on is fairly consistent. India TV called it a clever spy comedy held back by a slow start and uneven pacing, and suggested it is a reasonably entertaining watch for fans of light comedy. Bollywood Hungama liked the humour but said the film stumbles after the interval, when it turns serious and adds too many twists. Filmibeat rated it a one-time watch and said the second half feels stretched in places. Several reviewers also felt Sara Ali Khan's part is limited and that an emotional sub-plot is underdeveloped.
For Ayushmann Khurrana, who is best known for comedies with a social theme, Udta Teer is a move into a larger spy-comedy format. Reviewers singled out the comic scenes as the film's main strength.
The CBFC changes show the scrutiny that scenes involving national symbols receive during certification. The board's request to remove the image of blood on the map of India came shortly before release, according to reports.
| Outlet | Rating (out of 5) | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| India TV | 3 | clever premise, uneven pacing |
| Bollywood Hungama | 3 | funny, but falters after the interval |
| Filmibeat | 3 | one-time watch, stretched second half |
Impact
Short-term: Opening-day and weekend box office figures will show whether mixed-to-positive reviews and the film's comic angle can draw audiences in a busy release period before Diwali.
Long-term: If it works, Udta Teer could encourage more comedies that play with the India-Pakistan spy formula rather than the serious action approach that has dominated. If not, studios are likely to stay with the established thriller style.
Who is affected: Cinema-goers deciding what to watch this weekend, the film's producers and distributors, theatre owners, and the lead actors, for whom the film is a test of a new genre.
Key Takeaway
Udta Teer opened on 23 October 2026 to mostly 3-out-of-5 reviews that credit its humour and premise but fault its pacing after the interval.
Questions and Answers
What are the Udta Teer review ratings?
Major early reviews on 23 October 2026 rated it 3 out of 5, including India TV, Bollywood Hungama and Filmibeat. Two smaller outlets gave it 3.5 and 4.5. Critics praised the humour but found the second half slow.
What is Udta Teer about?
It is a spy comedy directed by Aakash Kaushik in which a Pakistani spy loses his memory and comes to believe he is a patriotic Indian counter-terrorism officer. Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan play the leads.
What certificate did Udta Teer get?
UA 13+. According to reports, the CBFC asked the makers to remove a scene showing blood on the map of India and to add health warnings in some scenes.
Is Udta Teer releasing in Nepal?
No. Nepal's film censor board refused permission for public screening of the film there.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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