Indian Independence marks one of the most crucial events in world history. Around the globe, there have been numerous films and shows about India’s freedom struggle. Adapted from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’s book by the same name, the Nikkhil Advani-created series Freedom at Midnight is a new addition to that list, but it’s an exemplary one.
Story: The historical drama series revolves around political and social events that took place during the Indian freedom movement. Establishing Indian independence as the base plot, the Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra and Rajendra Chawla starrer series showcases the minutely detailed political tension taking place among the Indian and British politicians, diplomats and activists. Personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lord Mountbatten, Edwina Mountbatten, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Sarojini Naidu appear on screen as pivotal characters in the historical tale.
Review: The show begins with a huge crowd surrounding Gandhi and the media asking him about the partition of India after Jinnah’s statement on the same. Replying to that, Bapu makes a powerful statement, “Before India is divided, my body will be divided.” It further takes us to the crucial cabinet mission plan that happened in May 1946 between the leaders of Congress, the Muslim League and the British diplomats. In the background, a radio speaker can be heard dramatically announcing the upcoming event to the public and saying that the whole country ‘breathlessly’ awaits the results of the meeting. The exact same broadcasting takes place again in the final episode when the leaders appear making a fateful decision for millions of people. These intricate details make the show come full circle, and appear impeccably crafted to the audience.
Furthermore, the series keeps jumping multiple timelines to establish the circumstances and their influences on India’s freedom and partition. More than showcasing what is going on among the public, Freedom at Midnight focuses on the inner conflicts taking place among the members of the Indian National Congress in deciding about separation, united India and liberation from the East India Company. Meanwhile, the rows between Jinnah’s led Indian Muslim League and the Congress Party also take place on numerous occasions. It’s mesmerising to see such detailed writing by Abhinandan Gupta, Gundeep Kaur, Adwitiya Kareng Das, Divy Nidhi Sharma, Revanta Sarabhai and Ethan Taylor on a historical event that holds a huge amount of controversy. Meanwhile, Nikkhil’s skilful execution on screen and his apt directions to his artist are reflected widely in the show.
The adequate performances elevated the series to another level. After his memorable performance in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee, the audience’s expectations of Sidhant have been high. The young actor doesn’t disappoint and appears on the screen quite refreshed. He seldom smiles in the show amid stressful situations. However, his appearance as Nehru gathers appreciation for his phenomenal grip on the Kashmiri and British accents of India’s first Prime Minister. The actor has comparatively less dialogue than other pivotal characters. But he charms away the viewers, each time he comes on screen.
Chirag is another standout in the show. He disguises himself as Gandhi quite seamlessly. It would be a mistake to compare his craft with that of Ben Kingsley’s from the 1982 epic biographical film. However, his articulation as the Father of the Nation is quite skillful. Meanwhile, Rajendra as Vallabhbhai surprises the viewers. Even though the actor is known for playing a range of versatile characters on screen, his embodiment has Sardar garners unique attention.
Arif Zakaria as Jinnah might irk you throughout the show, but that’s where the artist wins with his talented performance. Malishka Mendonsa and Ira Dubey’s recurring appearances as Sarojini Naidu and Fatima Jinnah, respectively, align flawlessly with the plot. Meanwhile, Luke McGibney and Cordelia Bugeja as Lord and Lady Mountbatten prove themselves as perfect choices for such crucial characters. Pawan Chopra, Rajesh Kumar and KC Shankar fit into the narrative perfectly.
Verdict: The show takes its own sweet time to grasp the audience’s attention to a story that has been screened multiple times on silver screens, television and OTT. Similar to Freedom at Midnight, the latest multi-starrer film The Sabarmati Report revolves around religious conflicts among other things. However, the Sony LIV series turns out to be gold among the two in treating and executing such a critical subject with great subtlety. In addition, such skilful writing, direction and performances make it worthy of the viewer’s time.
