Review of Ae Watan Mere Watan: Not Always Entertaining, Not Especially Funny

Ae Watan Mere Watan should be approached cautiously because certain Mumbai filmmakers are openly propagandizing using politics and history as platforms. Fortunately, it seems that the historical thriller from Dharmatic Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios is impartial and devoid of political agendas.
Sara Ali Khan plays a freedom warrior in the movie Ae Watan Mere Watan, which is available to view on Amazon Prime Video. The film avoids going overboard since it tells the story of a little-known but important aspect of India’s freedom struggle.

AE Watan Unlike the liberation warriors in the film who chant slogans, profess their unwavering rejection to colonialism, and demonstrate against a harsh tyranny, Mere Watan is anything but a victim of noisy posturing. Despite exhibiting commendable moderation in fostering patriotism, the film falls short of becoming more than the sum of its parts.

AE Watan Even while Kannan Iyer’s Mere Watan has elements that are instantly appealing, it doesn’t have the same impact in this time when news is experiencing a protracted silly season. Ten years ago, Iyer made her big screen debut in the occult horror movie Ek Thi Dayan.

AE Watan The central theme of Darab Farooqui’s novel Mere Watan is a period in the life of Usha Mehta, an independence warrior. The primary actress, Sara Ali Khan, is just too light and porcelain-like to convey the intense need of the incredibly lusty woman.

In 1942, Usha Mehta, then just twenty-two years old, started a clandestine radio station to teach people about independence. Her pro-Churchill judge father, Sachin Khedekar, felt that the family did not need to support the Congress, thus she defied him by doing this step. She was inspired by the Quit India movement and the “do or die” admonition of Mahatma Gandhi.

The film only touches on a small amount of history. Usha disobeyed for a few months before the authorities cracked down on her and her allies. She spent four years in prison for breaking a World War II radio station prohibition. The small child, however, is unfazed by the prospect of suffering repercussions or her father’s anger.

Gandhi is portrayed by Uday Chandra and appears twice in two sequences. Ae Watan Mere Watan revolves around the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia (with a long appearance by Emraan Hashmi). The voice of the latter is often heard over the radios and elsewhere as Usha and her companions, Kaushik (Abhay Verma) and Fahad (Sparsh Shrivastava), run Congress Radio from a secret location and try to avoid the law for as long as they can.

In Hindi movies, Lohia has never gotten enough credit. In the Usha Mehta story, Ae Watan Mere Watan treats him with the dignity he deserves, giving the public access to an important historical document that hasn’t gotten enough attention up to this point. The fun-loving actor Hashmi lends Lohia nuance without going overboard with the dramatics.

Despite the exceptional talent, the movie felt lacking in both substance and pace. Ae Watan Mere Watan is a thriller in the classic sense, complete with chase scenes and action sequences, but it isn’t quite the cloak-and-dagger drama that it could have been. It lacks the innate ability to genuinely evoke a sense of tension or danger.

Radio waves are compared to wings in the film. Mahatma Gandhi therefore advises his followers to “let your wings grow.” Usha aims to attain independence through the radio frequencies she transmits “from somewhere in India,” and she intends to do just that.

Alex O’Nell portrays Inspector John Lyre of the Mumbai Police, actively seeking the operators of the covert radio station. A short preface reveals parts of the movie’s finale, which revolves around a raid on a structure housing the secret broadcasting equipment.

As a policeman aims a gun, Usha runs down a stairway. The focus shifts to the 10-year-old protagonist as she learns the value of the liberation movement from her instructor at an outdoor school in Surat.

The production emphasizes lines resembling speeches rather than conversational exchanges, resulting in a somewhat stiff presentation. Nonetheless, some points of “Ae Watan Mere Watan” remain valid and merit discussion.

Usha argues that news can empower individuals in one instance, countering a colleague’s dissatisfaction with publications disseminating misleading information. She emphasizes the importance of enlightening the public when misleading information is distributed through official channels.

Later, Usha and her allies discuss the dangers of blind devotion, using Lohia as an example. Although admired by Jawaharlal Nehru, Lohia wasn’t hesitant to challenge him when necessary.

Lohia is mentioned again in the movie to underscore that opposing a monarch doesn’t always imply a desire to overthrow them. One fights against the dictator because they are an oppressor.

“Mere Watan” presents patriotism not as a goal or a universal solution but as transcending the limited scope of its current representation.

With an undercurrent of subversion, “Mere Watan” tackles themes of love, revolution, freedom, unity, truth, and pragmatism, elevating it above a mere chronicle.

JioSaavn.com exclusively offers the latest songs. The accurate manufacturing design ensures historical authenticity, and Amalendu Chaudhary’s color palette adds strong visual appeal.

The film’s ideas are succinctly explained, yet the narration lacks the memorability and engagement expected throughout the compelling plot.

Originally this article is posted by NDTV

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