'Ae Watan Mere Watan' makers release Emraan Hashmi's first look as Ram Manohar Lohia

Mumbai, March 11 (IANS) Actor Emraan Hashmi is set to don a never-seen-before avatar of the freedom fighter -- Ram Manohar Lohia, in the upcoming historical thriller drama 'Ae Watan Mere Watan', starring Sara Ali Khan in the lead.

The makers on Monday shared the official poster of Emraan, who features in a guest appearance in the film.

The film pays homage to freedom fighter Usha Mehta (played by Sara), who at the age of 22 used an underground radio to broadcast news exposing the British Raj during the 1942 Quit India Movement.

Emraan portrays the lesser-known hero from the pages of India’s freedom struggle -- Ram Manohar, who played a significant role, helping establish and run the underground radio that was pivotal during the Quit India Movement. He was one of the founders of the Congress Socialist Party and editor of 'Congress Socialist'.

He was jailed, incarcerated and tortured multiple times throughout his journey and dedicated his life for the country’s battle against the British Raj. Lohia was the one who gave the idea of sapta kranti.

In the poster, Emraan aced the look as Lohia. He is wearing a blue coloured Nehru jacket and a white Nehru topi. He is sporting black spectacles, and is raising his hand with fist closed.

Sharing the poster, the makers wrote: "channeling the fearless voice of independence!"

Emraan, who is portraying a freedom fighter for the first time said: "I have never before played the role of a freedom fighter, and getting the opportunity to step into the shoes of Ram Manohar Lohia was an absolute honour."

"I worked closely with Kannan and Darab and looked into the extensive research they did, understanding Lohia ji’s history and journey and adding my own flair to it," said Emraan, who was recently seen in the webseries 'Showtime'.

The actor further added: "His immense contributions have shaped a whole lot of India’s history and is truly remarkable. I am looking forward to the audience seeing me in this new avatar. It is a privilege to be a part of a story that not only needs to be told but will also inspire generations to come."

A Dharmatic Entertainment Production, the Amazon Original Movie is produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra. Directed by Kannan Iyer, the film has been written by Iyer and Darab Farooqui.

The film also features Sachin Khedekar, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Shrivastav, Alexx O'Neil, and Anand Tiwari in pivotal roles.

It will premiere on Prime Video on March 21.