Udta Teer’s biggest problem is that it wants to be everything at once. It starts with a premise that could have made for an entertaining comedy, then piles on action, twists, patriotic posturing and, eventually, a dramatic climax. Somewhere along the way, it loses sight of what made its original idea interesting.

Udta Teer Review: Direction and Writing

It is directed by Aakash Kaushik and co-written with Dia Walia. Kaushik also has writing credits on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Bhooth Bangla. Given what he has written in the past, I should have known this movie was not going to be that great either. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was another bland movie, and looking at those films, perhaps I should have kept my expectations in check.

It seems as if the director creates an idea first, then builds a movie around it without having a lot of content.

Humour That Does Not Carry Enough Weight

Some of the comedy feels absolutely nonsensical. Known comedy faces seem to have been deliberately put in to draw more attention to the humour, which unfortunately does not carry enough weight to keep you guffawing.

It is just very, very average humour, with most of the laughs coming from none other than Rahul Bose. He is still a very good actor, by the way, but is seemingly willing to belittle himself when it comes to deriving humour from his features.

The friend, played by Suhail Nayyar, is one of the most interesting characters in the entire movie. The way he speaks, the way he plays his character and the futility of it all work well. He is trying to figure out what can be done in such a situation, and his helplessness carries the most humour. He delivers well, but that is about it.

Performances and a Wasted Opportunity

Ram Kapoor’s character is just one of those characters that could have been played by anyone. It does not carry enough weight. Neither is he particularly humorous. Again, he seems to have been chosen for the role just to capture the frustration in his eyes as the movie keeps running towards its end.

Ayushmann Khurrana’s role could have been played by almost anyone, too. It did not necessarily need him. Any actor capable of staying serious throughout the movie could have done an equally good job. Sometimes, it feels like Ayushmann was a wasted opportunity here, especially if they were not really aiming to give him much humour.

The entire counterterrorism squad feels absolutely useless, while Ayushmann’s character feels like a one-man army doing everything.

Too Many Twists and an Unnecessary Dose of Action

The plot twists, of which there are far too many, do not make much sense and feel forced. The action in the movie is completely unnecessary if what they wanted to build was a humorous film.

By the time you reach the end, you suddenly understand that the movie is trying to be everything. It suddenly tries to become dramatic, with a climax that wants to make it appear to be something it is not.

I understand how these scripts are written, keeping in mind what an audience wants: our movie will have action, comedy, humour, drama, everything. That is what it becomes in the end. But you realise that the actual plot gets lost somewhere because the movie stops being what it originally took flight for.

The songs are just as forgettable as they can be. Apart from the movie’s actual premise, there is nothing exciting to even remember this one by.

Another Opportunity to Mock Pakistan

The movie deliberately tries to become a film about India once again squashing Pakistan, as Bollywood movies have generally been doing lately. This one, too, seems very eager to build such a universe. No opportunity is missed, and no stone is left unturned when it comes to mocking Pakistan.

They go as far as showing how the Pakistani prime minister’s role is next to nothing when it comes to who really has power. A character constantly presented as Sharif is unable to get a meeting to speak to the general, played by Gulshan Grover. It is a direct joke about how powerless their ministry is.

Udta Teer Review: The Verdict

It is just a popcorn watch. I would have preferred to watch this movie on OTT if it were not for my parents, who wanted to watch a movie in a cinema theatre for a change.

I cannot believe I sacrificed Clayface for this. Not to mention that I am going to watch that soon anyway, probably tomorrow.

That being said, this movie is just a one-time watch. Watch it, laugh a little and forget about it.

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Cast reference: Cast and character details. Writing credits: Udta Teer credits and Aakash Kaushik’s filmography.