7 films, 7 new voices: Ayushmann Khurrana reveals why he keeps backing debut directors

Ayushmann has consistently shown the confidence to collaborate with emerging directorial voices, from 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, Anirudh Iyer in An Action Hero and now Akash A. Kaushik in Udta Teer.

While the films have varied in their commercial outcomes, together they reflect Ayushmann’s consistent willingness to back new perspectives, unusual premises and filmmakers with a clear creative voice.

His strongest commercial collaborations with debut directors include Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Dream Girl, while Udta Teer marks writer Akash A. Kaushik’s feature directorial debut.

The upcoming patriotic comedy is written and directed by Kaushik and releases in cinemas on October 9, 2026.

Speaking about his approach, Ayushmann Khurrana said: “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.

“Some of the most memorable experiences of my career have come from collaborating with new voices. They bring hunger, freshness and the courage to look at familiar subjects differently. I have always believed that when the conviction behind a story is strong, it deserves to be supported.”

His latest collaboration, Udta Teer, takes that instinct into the space of a genre-bending spy comedy. Ayushmann plays Bilal Ahmed, a Pakistani spy who suffers memory loss and begins to believe he is Indian.

At the trailer launch, the actor described the film as a “patriotic comedy”, adding that he follows what the script demands and considers himself “a director’s baby.”

“Every new director brings a different energy to the set. With Udta Teer, what drew me in was not just the genre, but the world Akash had created. It is rare to find a script that can be chaotic, funny, emotional and rooted in a larger idea at the same time. I wanted to surrender to that vision and allow the character to take me somewhere unexpected.”

For Ayushmann, the association with new directors is not a one-off experiment but part of a larger creative philosophy.

His filmography demonstrates a recurring preference for collaborators who are willing to take risks, question familiar formulas and build characters that audiences may not have seen from a mainstream Hindi-film hero before.