Ayushmann Khurrana Discusses Working With New Directors Across Seven Films

Ayushmann Khurrana has built a career around unconventional stories and characters, partnering with numerous emerging filmmakers to bring new perspectives to the screen. His upcoming film Udta Teer marks his seventh association with a first-time or Hindi-debut director.

The actor's collaborations with new filmmakers include working with Sharat Katariya in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, R. S. Prasanna in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Raaj Shaandilyaa in Dream Girl, Hitesh Kewalya in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Anubhuti Kashyap in Doctor G, and Anirudh Iyer in An Action Hero. His latest project, Udta Teer, is directed by writer Akash A. Kaushik in his feature directorial debut.

Reflecting on his project selection process, Ayushmann stated, “For me, the script always comes first. I don’t look at whether a filmmaker is directing their first film or their tenth film…I look at whether they have a story and a vision that can excite me.” He added that new voices bring hunger, freshness, and the courage to approach familiar subjects differently.

In Udta Teer, a patriotic comedy scheduled for release on October 9, 2026, Ayushmann plays Bilal Ahmed, a Pakistani spy suffering from memory loss who comes to believe he is Indian. Describing his collaboration with Akash A. Kaushik, the actor noted that he was drawn to the chaotic, funny, emotional, and rooted world created by the director.