Sara Ali Khan to play freedom fighter Usha Mehta in Karan Johar’s Aye Watan...Mere Watan; to go on floors in September

Sara Ali Khan had a memorable debut in the Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer Kedarnath. It released in December 2018 and the same month saw the release of her second film, Simmba. She had two releases in 2020 – Love Aaj Kal and Coolie No 1 – and both failed to entice audiences. However, her performance in Atrangi Re (2021) proved yet again that she’s exceptionally talented and is here to stay. And looking at her upcoming slate, it seems like Sara Ali Khan is all set to leave a huge mark in the near future as well.

 

Sara Ali Khan to play freedom fighter Usha Mehta in Karan Johar’s Aye Watan...Mere Watan; to go on floors in September

 

Bollywood Hungama has learnt that her next film, Aye Watan...Mere Watan, is all set to go on floors next month, in September 2022. The actress will be playing the role of freedom fighter Usha Mehta.

 

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Sara signed this film earlier this year. Now that she has finished her other commitments, the film will go on the floors in a few weeks. She has been prepping for the film and is very excited to essay a real-life character for the first time.”

 

As per the source, the film will majorly focus on Usha Mehta starting an underground radio station, called Congress Radio. It functioned for a few months during the Quit India Movement of 1942. In those few months, it left a huge mark as it greatly assisted the freedom struggle movement by broadcasting uncensored news and other information banned by the British government of India.

 

Aye Watan...Mere Watan will be produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment and will premiere directly on Amazon Prime Video. Kannan Iyer, who made Ek Thi Daayan (2013), is the director while the script is written by Darab Farooqui. Kannan was supposed to helm the Abhinav Bindra biopic, starring Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor and father Anil Kapoor. “However, the film is on the backburner and when he got a chance to direct Aye Watan...Mere Watan, he was more than happy and accepted it,” said the source.

 

Interestingly, this is not the only film to be made on the life of Usha Mehta. Ketan Mehta, too, is working on her biopic. Titled Freedom Radio, it’ll be produced by Anubhav Sinha. Usha Mehta was Ketan Mehta’s aunt (father’s sister). While the casting is undecided, there were rumours that either Taapsee Pannu or Bhumi Pednekar will be signed for the coveted part.

 

In an interview last year, Ketan Mehta was asked about Karan Johar also making a film on the same topic. To which he had replied, “I wish Karan all the best. I feel personally responsible that a tribute to her is made and presented as well as possible. It is a family legacy. My father was also a freedom fighter, and this is the only legacy dad and phobia (aunt) left us with and I feel this should be passed on to people.”

 

Also Read: Sara Ali Khan visits her alma mater in the US; shares stories of visiting Columbia University

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