After being abandoned for eight straight years in boarding school,Rohan returns to the industrial city of Jamshedpur and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father and a younger half brother who he didn''t even know existed. Forced to work in his father''s steel factory and study engineering against his wishes, he tries to forge his own life out of his given circumstances and pursue his dream of being a writer.

Box office

The film was released in the U.S.A on July 16th, grossing $2,715 in two days from two theatres.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics upon release. On the review-aggregation website ReviewGang, the film scored 8.0/10 based on 7 reviews. Gaurav Malani of IndiaTimes rated it 4/5 "In an industry known to indulge in larger-than-life ''flights of fantasy'', Udaan is one of those intermittent ''coming of age'' films from Bollywood. Do not miss!" . Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India rated it 4/5 "Udaan is unconventional Bollywood at its biting best. The film is a moody, introspective and ekdum different look at teenage angst" Pankaj Sabnani of Glamsham.com rated it 3.5/5 and stated that "The best part about UDAAN is its simple yet heartrending & relatable story... UDAAN surely passes with flying colours. It will linger on your mind for a long time to come." Mayank Sekhar of Hindustan Times rated Udaan 3.5/4 and of the view that "This is that rare, superior latter: a bleak beauty, a commendable debut." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave it 4/5 and stated that it is"intuitively written and lovingly crafted, Udaan is packed with moments that will resonate with every viewer because they mirror real experiences." Kaveere Bamzai of India Today rated it 4/5 and described it as "an extraordinary story told without veering into the maudlin. Its a tightly controlled drama without any melodrama." Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph rated it 7.4/10 and calling it a "must watch". Vivek Bhatia of Filmfare.com rated it as 3/5 and elaborated that "the strength of Udaan lies in its story telling, which is very real. As are the setting and the overall ambience." According to film critic Subhash K. Jha, Udaan "gives us some great moments of cinema , done in shades that leave the camera lens far behind to romance the very core of middleclass life..." Gaurav Malani of Economic Times rated it 4/5 and described it as a film which should not be missed and told that "Udaan is one of those intermittent ''coming of age'' films from Bollywood, which is usually known to indulge in larger-than-life ''flights of fantasy''.". The film also got a 8.5/10 rating [with 288 votes, Even better than biggest Bollywood hit - 3 idiots[8.0 rating] ] on Internet Movie Database. Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog : "I found that the film deserved the accolades it was getting. Vikramaditya Motwane, a school mate of Abhishek has directed this film. A young man who had come some years ago to me with a marvelous script, has directed this venture of his with the maturity that one does not expect to see from one on his debut venture"

Screenings and awards

The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard[A Certain Look] category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Udaan was first Indian film to be part of canness official section in seven years. Udaan got screened in 40th Giffoni Film Festival in Italy bagging Audience Choice Award along with the trophy for Best Music Score.