Mumbai: Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan’s upcoming film Udta Teer has been denied permission to screen in Nepal, just days before its theatrical release on 23 October.
The decision was communicated to the film’s distributor, National Cine Group, in a letter dated 16 October, reported Bollywood Hungama. The letter stated that the film violated Nepal’s cinema laws, but did not explain which scenes were objectionable.
Udta Teer is a spy comedy about Bilal Ahmad, a Pakistani agent played by Khurrana, who is sent to India on a mission. After an accident leaves him with no memory of who he is, he starts believing he is an Indian counterterrorism officer.
The film’s India-Pakistan storyline appears to be the problem. Nepalese film critic Samipyaraj Timilsina told Onlinekhabar that Nepal has laws restricting films that could damage relations with other countries. Films that could hurt a country’s image, national identity or communities can also be stopped from releasing.
But Timilsina questioned whether banning films about conflicts between countries was the answer. Such stories will continue to be made, he said, and repeatedly refusing to screen them could create more problems. He suggested that the authorities look at the subject of each film and how sensitively it has been handled before deciding whether to deny it screening. He also referred to earlier controversies over the screening of Alpha and Batwara 1947.
Nepal’s film laws allow the censor board to stop a film over concerns about national security or public order. The board can also demand cuts before clearing a film for release.
At the trailer launch in September, Khurrana was asked about playing a Pakistani spy and saying “Pakistan Zindabad” in the film.
“That’s part of the script. As an actor, you are ready to do anything. This is a spy comedy, a patriotic comedy. Whatever the script demands from me, I do,” he said.
Udta Teer is the directorial debut of Akash A Kaushik, who has also written the film. The cast includes Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Raghubir Yadav, Supriya Pilgaonkar and the late Mukul Dev.
The film is produced by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment. It releases in India on 23 October.