Lohia’s character imbues the film with his Gandhian ideals, urging the viewers to think critically instead of blindly aligning themselves with political causes.
Before the lights go out in a theater and the opening credits roll, a critic offers their heart to the film with the hope that the filmmaker will win it over. The intention is to fall so deeply, madly and irrevocably in love with the film that their faith in the profession is renewed. Sadly, one is often left pointing out errors and flaws like a school teacher generating report cards giving A- and C+ to their students. Ae Watan Mere Watan, now universally panned, is one of those films that fade into oblivion and rarely get appreciation for a few things they get right even as they get many others wrong.
Losing parents over politics
Despite its many flaws which have been discussed, analysed and dissected at length over the last two weeks, there are some silent wins (and some not-so-silent ones) which the critic in me couldn’t help but appreciate, or perhaps lament because they flew under the radar owing to a mostly underwhelming execution.
With an in-your-face Churchill worshiper like Usha’s father, director Kannan Iyer presents a complicated father-daughter dynamic where the political views add discord to a parent-child relationship. Each time Sara Ali Khan thundered “karo ya maro” (Do or Die), a part of me wanted to die. But when she stood her ground against her father’s pro-colonialist views, I could relate to her predicament.
After an explosive argument, Usha wonders in solitude ‘papa ka dil tod diya na maine (I broke my father’s heart, didn’t I)?’ a sentiment many of us identify with as we fight bigotry in our homes and see our loved ones fall prey to the vicious propaganda.
In an effort to assert our boundaries while also trying to help our parental figures see through hateful politics, we are often left with a feeling of overwhelming guilt. Most of us know the pain of losing our parents to hateful propaganda. The bitter arguments between Usha and her British-apologist father mirror those that play out within the four walls of many Indian homes today.
Powerful commentary on oppression
It is, therefore, not a surprise that many of these sharp barbs thrown by the father-daughter duo at each other also serve as commentary on systemic oppression and freedom that is relevant especially in today’s socio-cultural context.
“Angrez nahi toh aur kaun? (If not the British then who?)” is an argument which is often used even today to justify, sometimes legitimize a fascist government, all while watching news and discussing politics at the dinner table. The film masterfully uses oppressive Britishers to draw parallels with India’s current political climate. If only the message of the film wasn’t marred by poor writing and acting, we could have had one of the most important films of our time.
The bitter arguments between Usha and her British-apologist father mirror what plays out within the four walls of many Indian homes today.
When Usha says, “They [the British] managed to scare all newspaper Editors. They are watching news items on revolt like hawks and suppressing it,” one is instantly reminded of how the news on electoral bonds, Pegasus scandal and vaccine data leak barely made it to mainstream TV news channels.
Championing Ram Manohar Lohia’s legacy
The commentary on the systematic dismantling of communication channels, censorship of any criticism against the oppressive authorities and crackdown on the press remains relevant today even though it has been decades since India got its independence. In another scene, the leaders opposing the British oppressors are put in jail and wrongfully arrested — one is instantly reminded of the leaders of opposition being put in jail a couple months before elections. Police throw tear gas shells as civilians resist — a scenario we saw play out during farmers’ agitation.
Emraan Hashmi’s Ram Manohar Lohia. Lohia’s character imbues the film with his Gandhian ideals, urging the viewers to think critically instead of blindly aligning themselves with political causes. Through Lohia, Ae Watan… emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and scrutinizing news and WhatsApp forwards with a rational eye. As we head into a grueling election year, it is more important now more than ever to follow in Lohia’s footsteps and use one’s intellectual faculties to discern truth from propaganda.
Lohia worships Nehru but still isn’t a blind devotee of his. Usha claims Fahad is a blind devotee of a man (Lohia) who himself doesn’t believe in blind devotion and, therefore, isn’t a blind devotee (bhakt). With the rise of self-proclaimed Godmen, podcasts that spread misinformation and influencers who peddle hate in fluent English, India needs critical thinkers like Lohia now more than ever.
The sad part is that Ae Watan Mere Watan could have moved mountains had it got the execution right. It could have been the next Jawan where SRK sat in front of a pile of EVMs, urging citizens to vote responsibly in an election year.
Should a film get participation marks just because it had its intent in the right place but failed miserably at accomplishing what it set out to achieve? Probably not. But it must, at the very least, be appreciated for the things it does get right, even if they are too few, too little in the grand scheme.
Ae Watan Mere Watan is streaming on Amazon Prime Video
