Udta Teer Director Aakash Kaushik Gets Emotional Remembering Mukul Dev

Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan’s Udta Teer is in theatres, and one name is being talked about as much as the leads: Mukul Dev. The late actor appears in the film as the terrorist Azhar Maqsood. Now director Aakash Kaushik has shared some warm and emotional memories of working with him.

The spy comedy, which released in theatres worldwide on October 23, 2026, marks the final cinematic appearance of Mukul Dev, serving as an emotional swansong for the beloved versatile actor.

Who Is Aakash Kaushik?

Udta Teer is Aakash Kaushik’s first film as director. He began his career as a writer on F.A.L.T.U (2011). Over the past decade, he has established himself as one of Bollywood’s most successful writers of horror comedies, having penned blockbuster franchise entries including Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and the upcoming Bhooth Bangla.

How the Idea for Udta Teer Was Born

In an interview with Free Press Journal, Kaushik revealed that the core concept for the spy comedy sprang from his deep personal love for patriotic Hindi cinema. The film follows an intelligence operative who finds himself acting as an Indian spy in one half of the narrative and operating on the Pakistani side in the other.

Kaushik specifically cited J.P. Dutta’s 1997 war classic Border as one of his all-time favourites:

“Border is 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.”
— Aakash Kaushik, Director of Udta Teer

“He Was Such a Sweetheart”: Kaushik on Mukul Dev

The most emotional segment of Kaushik’s conversation centered on Mukul Dev. Kaushik recounted how fully invested the late actor was in crafting his character and how many nuances he brought to the sets every day. He also highlighted a rare talent of Mukul’s that few fans knew about:

“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.”
— Aakash Kaushik on Mukul Dev

The Midnight Calls: Laughing Over Scenes

Kaushik shared a particularly fond, touching anecdote from the film’s production schedule:

“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.”

Voice Notes, Due Recognition & AI Recreation

In additional interviews, Kaushik revealed several more intimate details about Mukul Dev’s hopes and the production work that followed his passing:

• Hopes for the Film: Mukul was deeply confident that Udta Teer would re-establish his standing in Hindi cinema. Kaushik recalled: “He would always say that once the film releases, people will finally give me my due.”
• WhatsApp Voice Notes: Kaushik revealed that Mukul frequently sent him voice notes on WhatsApp discussing line delivery, comic timing, and scene ideas. Kaushik shared that he still keeps those voice notes and listens to them with great affection.
• AI Voice Recreation for Operation Sindoor: The film reportedly utilised advanced AI voice reconstruction tools for a critical sequence revolving around Operation Sindoor. Kaushik reworked portions of the script following Mukul’s demise so that his character Azhar Maqsood could still deliver the pivotal dialogue seamlessly.

Ayushmann Khurrana’s Tribute: “A Swan Song”

During the official trailer launch of Udta Teer, lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana also paid an emotional tribute to the late co-star. Ayushmann reflected that the movie stands as “like a swan song” and “a tribute to Mukul Dev.” Ayushmann candidly admitted: “We sadly underutilised him.”

Mukul Dev tragically passed away on May 23, 2025, at the age of 54, following a short illness. He is survived by his daughter Siya Dev and his brother, actor Rahul Dev. The majority of Mukul Dev’s scenes in Udta Teer were completed during primary filming throughout 2024. Rahul Dev has since mentioned how fondly Mukul spoke about working on this film and how enthusiastic he had been about the character.

Udta Teer: Full Cast, Crew & Production Details

Directed by Aakash Kaushik, Udta Teer brings together a formidable ensemble cast of Bollywood comedy and action stalwarts:

Udta Teer Box Office Collection So Far

Udta Teer opened with strong word-of-mouth in theatres, particularly for its situational comedy and Mukul Dev’s spirited antagonist performance.

According to trade figures reported by Outlook India, the film opened to approximately ₹4.10 crore on day one (Friday), saw a solid 76% growth to ₹7.25 crore on day two (Saturday), and closed its first weekend with nearly ₹20 crore across India.