Mumbai, October 21: Two days before their spy comedy Udta Teer hits theatres, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan took their promotions to the India-Pakistan border. The co-stars attended the Beating Retreat ceremony at Attari-Wagah on Wednesday, joining the flag-lowering ritual with patriotic slogans, in a promo visit that turned into a talking point online.
The film, a spy comedy where Ayushmann plays a Pakistani operative who loses his memory and starts believing he is an Indian agent, releases on October 23. The timing of the border visit was no accident. The cast has been crisscrossing Punjab this week, from a promotional stop in New Chandigarh to Amritsar, milking the film’s cross-border premise for all it is worth.
A viral moment at the border
Videos from the Attari-Wagah event went viral within hours. While the actors greeted crowds and security personnel, loudspeakers from the Pakistani side reportedly played Atif Aslam’s rendition of Tajdar-e-Haram, briefly drowning out the promotional message. Social media had a field day with the coincidence: a film about an identity-confused spy getting musically photobombed by the other side of the border.
Both actors seemed to take the moment in their stride, continuing to interact with the crowd and joining in the slogans during the ceremony.
Sara’s emotional Golden Temple visit
Before heading to the border, Ayushmann and Sara visited Sri Darbar Sahib, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, to seek blessings ahead of the release. Dressed in matching white ethnic outfits, the co-stars offered prayers at the revered Sikh shrine.
One moment from the visit became the day’s other viral clip: Sara was seen getting deeply emotional while offering her obeisance, visibly crying as she prayed. The video sparked concern and a flood of comments from fans online.
Sara, known for her deep personal faith and frequent pilgrimages to shrines like Kedarnath, Badrinath and Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple, did not address the emotional moment directly. She later shared a photo from the shrine with Ayushmann, captioning it: “Happy Dussehra. Wishing everyone love, luck, and laughter.”
She also paid tribute to the Border Security Force on Instagram Stories. “What a proud feeling. Our deepest
What is Udta Teer about?
Directed by debutant Akash A Kaushik, Udta Teer stars Ayushmann as Bilal Ahmad, a Pakistani intelligence operative who suffers memory loss after an accident and wakes up convinced he is an officer with India’s Counter-Terrorism Squad. Sara plays a fellow CTS officer who has no idea about his true identity. The comedy runs on mistaken identity: he remembers his patriotism perfectly well, just not which country it belongs to.
The ensemble cast includes Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Suhail Nayyar, Gulshan Grover, the late Mukul Dev, Raghubir Yadav, Brijendra Kala, Sandeep Anand, Supriya Pilgaonkar and Smita Tambe. The film is jointly produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Guneet Monga Kapoor’s Sikhya Entertainment, with music by Sachin-Jigar.
Speaking earlier about the film’s unusual premise, Ayushmann said he had no hesitation playing a Pakistani agent. “I do what the script demands. I’m a director’s baby. He has written a fantastic script,” he told reporters, calling the film a “spy comedy, patriotic comedy, genre bender.”
Release details
- Release date: October 23, 2026 (this Friday)
- Genre: Spy comedy / action comedy
- Director: Akash A Kaushik (directorial debut)
- Lead cast: Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan
- Producers: Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment
- Note: The film was originally slated for October 9 and was pushed to October 23
FAQs
When does Udta Teer release?
Udta Teer releases in cinemas on October 23, 2026. It was earlier scheduled for October 9.
What is the story of Udta Teer?
Ayushmann Khurrana plays Bilal Ahmad, a Pakistani spy who loses his memory and wakes up believing he is an Indian counter-terrorism officer. Sara Ali Khan plays a fellow officer unaware of his real identity.
Why did Ayushmann and Sara visit the Wagah border?
The actors visited the Attari-Wagah border and attended the Beating Retreat ceremony as part of the film’s final promotional push before its October 23 release.
Why was Sara Ali Khan emotional at the Golden Temple?
Sara was seen crying while offering prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar ahead of the film’s release. She did not comment on the moment directly but later shared a Dussehra greeting from the shrine.
Who directed Udta Teer?
The film marks the directorial debut of Akash A Kaushik, and is produced by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment.
With two days to go for release, the border promo has given Udta Teer exactly what it needed: conversation. Whether the film’s amnesiac-spy chaos holds together on screen will be clear this Friday.
