O Country My Country/ Ae Watan Mere Watan
It is a pleasure to get this opportunity to reach out to readers of Indiaspora. I am an alumnus of IIT Madras, and work in Mumbai as a film director. My previous film as director is the supernatural thriller: EK THI DAAYAN. I was also one of the writers of the action-comedy DAUD. I finished my MFA in Film at Temple University in Philadelphia, before joining Bollywood as Shekhar Kapur’s assistant in the acclaimed film BANDIT QUEEN. I wish to draw your attention to my film Ae Watan Mere Watan streaming now on AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
As all of you would know, India attained freedom from British rule in 1947. After a long and inspiring people’s struggle. While leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Bose, Bhagat Singh, among others, have been immortalized by the freedom movement, there are thousands upon thousands of anonymous heroes and heroines, who fought courageously during India’s freedom struggle. Their feats are relevant not only to Indians but to audiences all over the world, because the fight for freedom is an eternal one, across time and place.
One such inspiring personality is Usha Mehta, who was one of the leaders of a group of Bombay collegians, who started and operated a clandestine radio station to propagate revolt against the British Raj. My film is not a biopic of Usha Mehta, but a film inspired by her and the clandestine radio station. As members of the Indian diaspora, some among you may have childhood memories of the Indian freedom struggle. Memories of the years of struggles, memories of the celebrations of 15 August 1947, memories of jailed family members. For many more among you, India’s freedom struggle would be part of family lore. AE WATAN MERE WATAN recreates those times and brings them to you in a thriller-drama.
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