Ae Watan Mere Watan Movie Review: Sara Ali Khan did not settle into the character of Usha Mehta, Emraan Hashmi tried his best to save the boat.

Sara Ali Khan starrer Ae Watan Mere Watan is now available on Amazon Prime Video. This biographical drama is based on the life of Usha Mehta, who was a freedom fighter and actively worked during the Quit India Movement of 1942. Sara who was last seen in a glamorous role in Murder Mubarak, plays the serene Usha in Kannan Iyer’s latest release. She wears khadi sarees and shouts ‘Karo ya maro’ at every opportunity but failed to impress with her performance in Ae Watan Mere Watan too.

Story

Aye Watan Mere Watan begins with junior Usha telling her father that she wants to fly. Played by Sachin Khedekar, Usha’s father asks her to find wings to fly high in the sky. The film then takes the story to the 1940s when Sara Ali Khan can be seen at odds with her father over Britain’s involvement in India. However, Usha soon realizes that her wings are her fighting spirit and love for the nation. Then Usha started her own radio station named Congress Radio to unite the people and ignite the Quit India Movement. He is joined by two other college friends and patriotic citizens, Fahadh (played by Sparsh Srivastava) and Kaushik (played by Abhay Verma).

While the trio is finding their way to unite the people with the help of their radio, they meet Ram Manohar Lohia (played by Emraan Hashmi). Despite the slow pace of the first half, the film picks up pace in the second half when Mumbai Crime Branch chief John Lair is tasked with shutting down the radio and catching the criminals. The film reaches its end with a few fights, impossible romantic moments, calls for friendship and the fight for freedom.

direction

Kannan Iyer, who last received praise for Ek Thi Daayan, can’t expect the same from Aye Watan Mere Watan. The writing in this film lacks depth which is reflected in the performances. Sparsh and Emraan try their best to hide the flaws with their stellar performances but Aye Watan Mere Watan could have been even better. It is always difficult to present real life characters on screen, but films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Sardar Udham have raised the bar so high that Ae Watan Mere Watan seems weak in writing and presentation. Kannan Iyer’s second part tries to create a thriller vibe but the biographical drama ends up being just a drama.

acting

Sara Ali Khan’s character of Usha Mehta looks completely incomplete. Even moving her hands too much makes her look bad on screen. Moreover, her intense performance is highlighted whenever she shares the frame with Sparsh and Imran. Missing Ladies actor Sparsh Srivastava is brilliant as Fahadh. He makes you aware of the freedom struggle and wins your heart with his on-point dialogue delivery. You will definitely be seeing more of this new age actor. Emraan Hashmi’s versatility continues to grow with every performance. An actor who was typecast for so long has broken barriers with films like Tiger 3 and Ae Watan Mere Watan. Hashmi’s portrayal of the real-life character Ram Manohar Lohia flows effortlessly into each frame and the actor brings substance to his performance. You will also find the casting of Abhay Verma as Kaushik and Sachin Khedekar as Sara’s onscreen father perfect. The scene of reading his last letter was extraordinary for me.

music

Apart from Sara’s underwhelming performance, another big highlight of Ae Watan Mere Watan is its music. Any film that is based on nationalism or patriotism has a wide scope for emotional songs and hair-raising songs. Unfortunately, composers Utkarsh and Umesh Dhotekar failed to take advantage of this opportunity. Hence, the film also fails to create a bond with its audience as none of the songs or background score of Ae Watan Mere Watan will impress them. Big disappointment here!

How is the movie?

I would like to give only 3 stars to Ae Watan Mere Watan because the film does not offer anything new to its audience. The film is based on Usha Mehta, one of the many unsung heroes of our freedom struggle. But despite having such a huge responsibility, the makers have presented a slow and uninteresting film. However, a good takeaway from Ae Watan Mere Watan is undoubtedly Emraan Hashmi and Sparsh Srivastava. This film is now available on Prime Video.