This is the era of spy films and we are just living in it. It's not like high-octane action spy films were not made in Hindi cinema before, but the stage set by Aditya Dhar's blockbuster phenomenon, Dhurandhar, has been a whole new world of the adrenaline rush it can initiate.
And amidst this, we have yet another one flying in, Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, along with a surprise supporting cast that has left a lasting impression.
When we say we spotted a similarity between Dhurandhar and Udta Teer, other than them being more or less in the same genre, we speak of a relationship that caught our attention in both films. And both ended in tragic deaths.
Udta Teer Strike
Akash Kaushik's spy-comedy Udta Teer follows the story of a Pakistani intelligence operative, Bilal (Ayushmann Khurrana), who infiltrates India's Counter Terrorism Squad (CTS) under the cover identity of Major Vikrant Thapar.
But he's not the only one.
Suhail Nayyar plays the role of Ashfaq, another fellow Pakistani operative who is working alongside Bilal under the alias Dhruv and is as much a part of the infiltration of the Indian security apparatus as his 'colleague' and childhood friend.
As we get deeper into the story, we are shown the backstory of Bilal and how his hatred for India was carefully crafted by the vile Pakistani General A. Q. Niyazi (Ram Kapoor).
Ashfaq and Bilal share a long-standing brotherly bond. They grew up together and trained under Pakistani military handlers. Ashfaq is the most shocked when, as the trailer too reveals, Bilal briefly loses his memory after an accident and suddenly becomes a deshbhakt for India.
Throughout the film, we see Ashfaq desperately trying to make his friend recall his past while growing frustrated with his actions. But there comes a serious plot point where Yamini (Sara Ali Khan), Bilal's wife who works in the Indian Defence Ministry, gets to know about a major scam. She figures out how illegal funds and top-secret information have been leaked to Pakistan, and it is Yamini's boss (Bijendra Kala) who informs Ashfaq, who jumps to protect their mission and is ready to even kill Yamini, his best friend's wife.
All this transpires at a time when Ayushmann Khurrana's Bilal has no memory of his mission, or that Ashfaq is his friend and fellow compatriot. When Bilal sees his wife being attacked, a heated confrontation and brawl takes place between Bilal and Ashfaq. As things spiral out of control, the protective husband and hardline Indian officer stabs Ashfaq, and it serves as a major trigger to bring back his memories. The realisation of killing his closest friend, coupled with a rush of childhood memories, hits him like a truck.
Now fellow Dhurandhar fans would instantly connect this with Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh) and Pinda (Udaybir Sandhu). Though no memory loss was needed here, it was just collateral damage.
The Dhurandhar 'Ring To It'
Dhurandhar had the opposite premise to Udta Teer.
The plot revolved around high-stakes covert Indian intelligence operations inside Pakistan.
Dhurandhar revolved around Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh), an undercover Indian intelligence operative who takes on the moniker and guise of Hamza Ali Mazari. He makes his way into Lyari and Karachi's criminal syndicates as he becomes a part of violent gang wars under underworld figures like Rehman Dakait (played by Akshaye Khanna) and Uzair Baloch, only to use them to his advantage in pursuit of his mission.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which released earlier this year, delved deeper into the backstory of Jaskirat Singh Rangi, his personal loss, anger and rage behind the revenge. That is when we are introduced to Pinda (Udaybir Sandhu), his childhood best friend and brother-in-law. The initial few scenes show how close they were and the innocence that imbued their deep brotherly bond.
But changing tides and desperate times made Pinda wear the garb of a high-profile drug dealer and cross-border smuggler in Pakistan with ties to the ISI. His character is loosely inspired by real-life gangster and Babbar Khalsa International terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu (Rinda).
And here is where the similarity kicks in. Hamza is utterly shocked when he sees his friend Pinda in the dark Pakistani territory. And the ultimate tragedy comes when Pinda arrives at Hamza's house for a party.
Pinda recognises Jaskirat (Hamza), and then comes the famous dialogue, "Ghar ki yaad nahi aayi Jassi?" ("Didn't you miss home, Jassi?").
A massive brawl breaks out in the bathroom where Hamza tries not to attack his friend and let the matter go. But Pinda, who is heavily under the influence of drugs, keeps attacking Hamza and even tries to inject chemicals into his eyes.
In an act of self-defence, Hamza gouges Pinda's eyes, overpowering him as the drug-fuelled Pinda is completely blinded. Writhing in pain, as Pinda moves back, he slips and bangs his head against the edge of a wash basin, and the fatal blow immediately kills him.
The scene is of paramount importance in Dhurandhar 2, as the usually hardened Hamza completely breaks down. The intention was never to kill his childhood friend, but the circumstances only kept spiralling out of control. In a bid to save himself and protect his cover, he also ended up making his sister a widow.
The similarity in both Udta Teer and Dhurandhar is how one friend loses another for the love of their respective countries. And it is, in more ways than one, a death that could have been avoided.
The only dissimilarity, however, is that Udta Teer is a case of a man's temporary amnesia, while Dhurandhar 2 was a hardcore spy thriller.
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