India attained independence on August 15 1947, but the path to freedom was not an easy one. British Raj’s final years in the country coinciding with the division of India have been documented in Nikkhil Advani’s latest historical drama series Freedom At Midnight.
The show is adapted from the book of the same name, authored by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. The first season of the web show was premiered on Sony LIV on November 15.
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Freedom At Midnight plot
United Kingdom’s then prime minister Clement Atlee on February 20, 1947 announced that the British would grant self-government to India by June 30, 1948 at the earliest. The Indian National Congress, which geared up to take over the reins from the British Raj, soon realised that big challenges lies ahead.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the tall and lanky English-speaking lawyer from Junagadh, declare himself as the sole spokesperson of Muslims in India. His sole aim was one: creation of an independent Muslim state of Pakistan.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was named as the Congress president in a dramatic fashion (seen in the teaser), and his mentor Mahatma Gandhi, wanted a united India at any cost. Mahatma Gandhi, who spearheaded the freedom struggle, is leaving no stone unturned to avoid what later would be termed inevitable: Partition of India.
The show covers various events that played a crucial role in India’s freedom and the tragic Partition. The layered show covers conflict of opinion between Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jinnah vs Gandhi clash, Direct Action Day of 1946 and other events.
Freedom At Midnight Cast
The show features Chirag Vohra playing the role of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, revered as Bapu. He is known for his role of Bhushan Bhatt in Pratik Gandhi-starrer Scam 1992.
Sidhant Gupta essays the role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. Rajendra Chawla essays the role of ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Patel.
However, Arif Zakaria as Muhammad Ali Jinnah is the one to watch out for. He effortlessly portrays the character of the Pakistan founder, whom Patel in the series describes as “more English than an Englishman”. Zakaria as Jinnah portrays the character of the man whose rigid ambition led to the division of India.
Freedom At Midnight review
The Nikkhil Advani directorial is a pacy and powerful depiction of Partition. At no moment would you find yourself stuck, rushing to your bookshelves or Google to find the context. The show is layered and covers most of the historical events to make it watchable for any layman who does not know what happened in those years.