FPJ Exclusive - Udta Teer Director Aakash Kaushik: 'I Wanted Pakistan To Say Jai Hind'

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan-starrer Udta Teer has action, comedy and twists, along with an intelligence operative who is Indian in one half of the film and Pakistani in the other. The absurd comedy marks the directorial debut of Aakash Kaushik, who began his career as a writer with F.A.L.T.U (2011). Aakash also appears to be a favourite choice for horror comedies, having written Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Bhooth Bangla.

In an interaction with us, he opens up about his journey. Excerpts:

How did the idea for Udta Teer come about?

I've been a fan of patriotic films all my life, with Border being one of my favourites. We've always seen Sunny (Deol) paaji and all the heroes say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jai Hind'. Experiencing those moments brings us so much joy. That's when I thought, what if I could get our neighbours to say these words? That's when the idea popped into my head, and I was instantly very excited about it. I knew it was a very out-of-the-box idea and that it would work really well.

Mukul Dev delivered the best performance. Tell us about working with him.

I had an absolute ball working with Mukul Sir. He was such a sweetheart and was very involved with his character. Very few people know this, but he had a great command over different languages and accents. His portrayal of terrorist Azhar Maqsood drew heavily from his own ideas and performance. It's such a joy when what you write on paper is elevated by someone's performance.

At night, he would suddenly call me at around 12:30 am, and I would wonder if everything was all right. He would then just start laughing. While I was confused about what was going on, he would tell me that he was remembering a particular scene we had shot and laughing about it.

I really miss him, and I just pray that he were here to be a part of all the success we're enjoying. But I know he's smiling from above and feeling happy about all the love he's receiving.

What are the challenges of being a first-time director?

Being a first-time director comes with its challenges, but it is also an incredibly joyful experience because it's been such a beautiful journey. Even when I started off as a writer, it took some time for people to have faith in me. I was very blessed to have such supportive producers and a star cast who believed in me and showed tremendous faith in me.

Udta Teer isn't a straightforward film. It explores different genres, switches between comedy and suspense, has several twists and turns, and features plenty of action. So, I'm sure there were initially some butterflies in everybody's stomach, but everyone was supportive. I feel so happy seeing the love the film is receiving. I just hope the producers make lots of money and that the film continues to receive all the love it is getting.

Horror seems to be one of your strengths. How and why?

I enjoy horror comedies. Both fear and fun are such different and opposite emotions. Yet, for some strange reason, they make a beautiful blend. The idea of community viewing, where you're watching a film in a theatre with other people, makes you enjoy both these emotions even more. I feel the theatrical experience of a horror comedy is far greater.

What happens is that once you achieve success, people want you to do more. Barring the Stree franchise, I think I've been offered every other horror comedy sequel to write. I had a great time writing both the Bhool Bhulaiyaa films and Bhooth Bangla.