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Read Full Ae Watan Mere Watan Movie Review –
Sara Ali Khan starrer Ae Watan Mere Watan – streaming now on Amazon Prime Video – is a lukewarm revolutionary tale. The film has its heart at the right place but falls short on implementation.
Director: Kannan Iyer
Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Srivastav, Emraan Hashmi, Anand Tiwari, Sachin Khedekar
Duration: 2 Hours 13 Minutes
Rating: 2.5/5
Ae Watan Mere Watan Movie Review; Plotline:
Ae Watan Mere Watan is the biopic on Usha Mehta – an unsung freedom fighter and a Gandhian who started an underground radio station to keep the spirit of the Quit India Movement alive.
Set in the pre-Independence era in the midst of India’s struggle for freedom in 1942, the biographical-drama sheds light on the brave young girl Usha Mehta (played by Sara Ali Khan) who starts an underground radio station to spread the message of unity, setting off a thrilling chase with the British authorities during the Quit India movement.
Usha is a devotee of Mahatma Gandhi, while her father Hariprasad Mehta (played by Sachin Khedekar) is a judge who works for the British Regime. He is not too encouraging of his daughter’s participation in the freedom struggle.
Inspired by Gandhi ji’s “Karo Ya Maro” (do or die) slogan, Usha, her classmates Kaushik (played by Abhay Verma), Fahad (played by Sparsh Srivastav) and others actively participate in the workings of the Congress party.
When the British government arrests Gandhi and all the major leaders of the Congress, Usha, Kaushik and Fahad take the matter into their hands.
They soon start the underground radio station called Congress radio – that plays speeches of India’s great Congress leaders every night at 8:30 pm – with the help of a radio engineer named Firdaus (played by Anand Tiwari). The radio program becomes an instant sensation and catches the attention of Dr Ram Manhoar Lohia (played by Emraan Hashmi), a pre-independence leader who has escaped the clutches of the British.
When the British government discovers Usha and her team’s radio plan, it becomes a cat-and-mouse game. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Ae Watan Mere Watan Movie Review; WHAT Do We Think?
Ae Watan Mere Watan is dedicated to all those unsung heroes who gave their lives for India’s freedom. Headline by Sara Ali Khan, the film fails to give goosebumps. The intention of the film is good but fails in execution. This revolutionary tale struggles to strike the emotional chord with the audience.
Director Kannan Iyer, who is also the co-writer of this film, did a decent job. The dialogues lacks the weight of a heavy-weight revolutionary period film.
Sara Ali Khan has slipped into the shoes of the fierce freedom fighter Usha Mehta. She tries to shoulder the film but struggles to leave a impact through her acting. In cotton suits, dupattas to khadi sarees with puffed-sleeved blouse and crimped hair, Sara somewhat appears to be a miscast.
Abhay Verma and Sparsh Srivastav have delivered standout performances as Kaushik and Fahad. Abhay Verma as Kaushik, who has feelings for Usha, is endearing. He is sincere while expressing the emotions of being torn between his love for Usha and his devotion to the freedom of the country.
On the other hand, Sparsh Srivastav, who won hearts with his performance in Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, proved his acting mettle once again in this movie. He is convincing as the polio-afflicted Fahad.
Emraan Hashmi as Ram Manohar Lohia is impressive. One of the very few good things about this film is how the makers highlighted the contribution of Lohia to India’s freedom movement. Hashmi appears briefly on the screen as Lohia and does justice to his character. Talented and versatile actor-director Anand Tiwari as the radio engineer seems to be wasted.
HIT Or MISS?
All said and done! Ae Watan Mere Watan is a simple, lukewarm revolutionary tale that has its heart at the right place but fails in execution. Given the inspiration of the story, the movie had the potential to be an effective watch. You might give it a watch if you are a die-hard fans of the actors.
