Director Aakash Kaushik said Sara Ali Khan has limited screen time in the spy comedy Udta Teer. Sara plays an officer named Yamini who appears in the second half. Aakash said, “She said, film ke liye kya sahi hai, voh batao.” Both actors put the film before their screen time.
Sara Ali Khan, despite leading Udta Teer with Ayushmann Khurrana, has limited screen time. In the Aakash Kaushik-directed spy comedy, she plays an officer working at the Indian Defence Ministry. Her character Yamini comes into action only in the second half. The director, in an exclusive interview with Zoom, said that the scope of Sara’s character was that much, and the actress graciously agreed to do the film. Calling Khan and Ayushmann ‘secure actors’, who put the film before their screen time and prioritise what is good for the eventual product.
Talking to Zoom about Sara’s limited screen time in Udta Teer, Aakash said, “Jab maine kahani likhi thi, Sara ka itna hi role tha. When I went to Sara, I told her ki role chhota hai lekin accha hai. When I narrated the idea to her, she said, ‘Mujhe is film ka part banana hai’. Ayushmann and Sara are such secure actors. They think of the film first. She said, film ke liye kya sahi hai, voh batao. She loved the concept and script and instantly wanted to be a part of the film. She said, ‘Chhota role hai but impactful hai’. Less is more; voh Sara ke iss role ke liye sahi hai. She was very gracious to say yes. She has done a fabulous job.”
Udta Teer follows the story of Vikrant (Ayushmann Khurrana), who works with the Counter Terrorism Squad in India. However, he is a Pakistani spy. His real name is Bilal Ahmed, and he infiltrates Indian intelligence to transfer confidential details to the Pakistani army. While protecting Azhar Maqsood (late Mukul Dev) and finding details of Indian spies in Pakistan, he meets with an accident and loses his memory. He forgets his real identity and messes up the neatly laid plan by the neighbouring country.
He remembers his Indian identity and his wife, Yamini (Sara Ali Khan). As the film progresses, Vikrant regains his memory and also learns that his uncle, Niyazi (Ram Kapoor), who sent him to India, was responsible for killing his parents and fuelling hate against the country. His parents were originally Indians who were in Pakistan as spies.