Ae Watan Mere Watan follows a young girl named Usha, who starts an underground radio station with her friends to resist British rule during India’s struggle for independence. The film is now streaming on Prime Video.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
At a young age, the film’s protagonist, Usha, witnesses the British police force thrashing her teacher for participating in the Salt March.
Usha intervenes to save her teacher, but the police show her no mercy. Usha’s action does not sit well with her father, a judge compliant with British rule.
The incident fuels Usha’s deep hatred for the British colonizers, and she grows up dreaming of her country gaining freedom from them.
Meanwhile, her father, benefiting from his compliance with the British, continues to support their rule.
Unbeknownst to him, Usha, now a college student, actively participates in the freedom movement alongside her friends Fahad and Kaushik. Usha and Kaushik are in love.
She becomes involved in the activities of the Congress, a party fighting for the country’s freedom, but she lies to her father when he questions her about it.
To ease her father’s mind, she promises him that she is not working for the movement and never will, but she has no intention of keeping that promise.
In fact, at one of Gandhi’s prayer meetings, she takes the vow of celibacy, which breaks Kaushik’s heart, but Kaushik continues fighting for the country’s freedom alongside her.
In August of 1942, Gandhi announces the Quit India Movement, which the British declare an act of sabotage, given that the Second World War is still ongoing.
Soon after, all the leaders of the movement are arrested, and Congress is banned. The protesters, including Usha and her friends, face police brutality.
The British control the press and radio, enabling them to spread propaganda and suppress the movement. However, Usha refuses to give up.
She decides to start her own radio station, despite the government’s ban on private radio stations due to the ongoing World War.
While Usha’s other friends refuse to take a risk that will almost certainly result in death, Fahad and Kaushik stand by her side.
Together, the three of them buy a radio from an engineer named Firdaus, with the money provided by Usha’s aunt.
They aim to use their station, named Congress Radio, to broadcast speeches of the leaders who are imprisoned to maintain momentum for the movement among the masses.
Usha, Fahad, and Kaushik’s efforts pay off; people in several parts of the country tune in to hear the messages from their leaders and are inspired to take action.
However, Usha’s father discovers that she broke her promise and locks her in her room to prevent her from participating in the freedom movement.
Usha, realizing that her father’s love has become an obstacle in her fight for the country’s independence, runs away from home with a heavy heart.
It is then that Usha and her friends meet Ram Manohar Lohia, an influential political agitator who has managed to evade arrest.
Lohia has been working to keep the Quit India Movement alive from the shadows, and when he learns that Usha, Fahad, and Kaushik are behind Congress Radio, he starts working closely with them.
His goal is to use Congress Radio to reignite the Quit India Movement. With the assistance of Lohia’s technical expert, Kamath, the range of Congress Radio is expanded.
Meanwhile, the British authorities start viewing Congress Radio as a nuisance. If it incites people, the authorities may be compelled to release Gandhi.
They discover that it is operated from Bombay, and a ruthless but efficient inspector, John Lyre, is asked to shut it down.
Lyre, who recently succeeded in dismantling the Bombay Congress single-handedly, now aims to do the same to Congress Radio.
Thus begins a cat-and-mouse game between a determined Lyre and three passionate freedom fighters prepared to risk their lives for their country.
Ending explained:
Facing danger
When Lohia begins using the radio to speak to the masses directly, Lyre resolves to locate him and the others behind Congress Radio.
Aware that there are only a few engineers in Bombay capable of assembling a radio as large as the one used by Congress Radio, he decides to question them all.
A policeman loyal to the freedom movement informs Balbir, one of the fighters closely working with Usha, Fahad, and Kaushik, about Lyre’s plan.
The four of them rush to save Firdaus, but Lyre also arrives there. Balbir then sacrifices his life to protect Usha and Firdaus.
After Balbir’s death, Lohia tasks the three of them to get the rectifier needed for their radio. Usha is cautious, and she realizes that the police have been lying in wait there as well.
Without consulting her friends, she decides to take a risk. She gets the rectifier and is pursued by the police. She somehow manages to avoid getting caught by using her wits.
This leads to Kaushik reproaching her, and Usha comes to know that he has been supporting her for her sake rather than for the country’s independence.
Usha prioritizes her commitment to the freedom struggle over her love for Kaushik. She asks him not to become an obstacle in her path, forcing him to step away from Congress Radio.
Evading triangulation
Lyre starts using a radio detection van to track Congress Radio. However, Fahad and Kamath always keep watch when Usha is broadcasting and switch off the broadcast before Lyre can catch them.
While Congress Radio inspires people across the country to participate in the Quit India Movement, Lyre finds another way to locate them.
He employs two vans instead of one and uses a technique called triangulation to pinpoint the exact location of the radio.
When Lyre searches their building, Fahad and Usha manage to hide the radio in time, narrowly escaping from the police.
To evade triangulation, Usha and Fahad suggest using two transmitters from different locations, and Lohia approves of their plan.
They ask Firdaus, who is in hiding, to build another transmitter. However, having expected that, Lyre arrests Firdaus when he goes to meet his wife.
With Firdaus arrested, the police seize the new transmitter, leaving Usha and Fahad with no way to evade triangulation.
Making sacrifices
Lyre also finds Lohia’s hiding place, thanks to his informants. Fortunately, Lohia manages to flee in time.
With the situation becoming increasingly dangerous, broadcasting becomes too risky. However, people across the country are gearing up to revolt, and Lohia is yet to launch Bharat Roko.
Usha and Fahad are willing to sacrifice their lives to broadcast Lohia’s speech, but Lohia refuses to allow both of them to do so.
Usha and Fahad must now decide who will be the one risking their life. They both want to do it, but Usha manipulates Fahad into giving her the responsibility.
Aware that Lyre will likely find her once she starts broadcasting, Usha prepares herself for whatever may come. Unexpectedly, Kaushik also arrives there.
He refuses to let Usha risk her life alone, so he resolves to stay with her until the end. As expected, Lyre finds them, but Usha and Kaushik hold his men back until the program ends.
A daughter to be proud of
Lohia’s announcement sparks protests across the country, all of which are violently suppressed by the British government.
Usha proudly chants slogans as she is taken to prison, where she and Kaushik are tortured by Lyre.
While Kaushik ends up signing whatever confession the authorities make him sign, Usha refuses to disclose Lohia’s whereabouts under any circumstances.
She is ultimately sentenced to four years in prison. During her time behind bars, Lohia pays a visit to her father, who comes to realize how courageous his daughter has been.
He begins to take pride in her and changes when people respect him for being Usha’s father. He no longer supports the colonizers.
His letters give Usha strength when she is in prison, and he is there to welcome her when she is released.
Along with him, several others, including Fahad, warmly receive her. Kaushik also comes, but he is too ashamed to face her.
Lohia also gets arrested in 1944 and is tortured in prison. Despite that, he continues fighting for the country’s freedom once he is released.
Also Read: Ae Watan Mere Watan review: Inspiring tale falls short of its potential